LIBRARY  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


Purchased  by  the  Hamill  Missionary  Fund. 


BV  2073  .C3  1921 

Carver,  William  Owen,  1868 

1954. 
The  Bible  a  missionary 

rtie^^;^aA        


The  Bible  a  Missionary 
Message 

A  Study  of  Activities  and  Methods 


By 

WILLIAM  OWEN  CARVER,  LL.D. 

Professor  of  Comparative  Religion  and  Missions,  and  Associate 

Professor  of  New  Testament  Interpretation  in  the  Southern 

Baptist  Theological  Seminary 

Author  of  "Missions  and  Modem  Thought,''  "Mis- 
sions in  the  Plan  of  the  Ages,''  ''All  the  World 
in  All  the  IVord,'^  "Acts,"  etc. 


New  York  Chicago  Toronto 

Fleming    H.   Revell    Company 
London       and       Edinburgh 


Copyright,  1 921,  by 
FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


New  York:  158  Fifth  Avenue 
Chicago:  17  North  Wabash  Ave. 
London :  2 1  Paternoster  Square 
Edinburgh:      75    Princes    Street 


Foreword 

The  author  accepted  the  invitation  of  his  friend, 
Professor  Chas.  T.  Ball,  General  Secretary  of  the 
Baptist  Student  Missionary  Movement  [later  desig- 
nated American  Baptist  Student  Union],  to  prepare 
this  book  on  the  missionary  message  of  the  Bible  for 
use  in  schools,  colleges,  universities,  theological 
seminaries,  and  for  general  reading.  Two  other 
studies  of  the  teaching  of  the  Bible  concerning  Mis- 
sions have  been  prepared  by  the  same  author.  Mis- 
sions in  the  Plan  of  the  Ages  is  an  extended  study 
for  use  in  classes  of  seminaries  and  training  schools 
and  by  others  who  wish  to  make  a  full  study  of  the 
subject.  It  has  been  in  growing  use  for  twelve  years. 
Four  years  ago  All  the  World  in  All  the  Word 
was  prepared  at  the  special  request  of  the  Women's 
Missionary  Union  Auxiliary  to  the  Southern  Baptist 
Convention  for  use  in  their  numerous  study  classes. 
Although  extensively  used  by  those  for  whom  they 
were  prepared,  neither  of  these  seemed  wholly 
adapted  to  the  uses  of  the  Missionary  Movement. 

There  has  been  no  effort  to  avoid  use  of  the  same 
material  in  the  different  volumes.  There  has  been 
diligent  effort  to  adapt  the  use  in  each  case  to  the 
constituency  for  whom  It  was  prepared.  It  Is  hoped 
that  the  outcome  may  justify  the  effort,  and  that  the 
multitudes  of  young  men  and  women  in  our  schools 
of  learning,  and  in  our  churches,  who  are  taking 

3 


4  Foreword 

ever-growing  interest  in  God's  plans  and  work  for 
the  world,  will  find  in  these  studies  a  sure  foundation 
and  a  permanent  inspiration  for  missionary  interest 
and  effort. 

While  seeking  always  to  keep  in  mind  the  needs  of 
the  students,  the  autljior  has  not  made  these  studies 
too  simple  and  easy.  [^They  deal  with  God's  redeem- 
ing idea  in  the  history  of  revelation,) a  subject  inevi- 
tably calling  for  careful  and  sustained  thought. 
But  the  effort  should  be  amply  repaid  if  one  comes 
to  feel  that  the  lines  of  divine  thought  and  action 
have  been  grasped  in  some  measure.  The  supreme 
need  of  the  Missionary  Enterprise  at  this  time  is 
consecrated  personality  in  which  to  invest  the  ever- 
increasing  sums  of  money  which  the  churches  are 
ready  to  give.  The  saving  gospel  can  be  proclaimed 
only  through  men  and  women.  They  must  be  en- 
listed by  the  thousands.  It  is  with  the  prayer  that 
such  a  result  may  come  to  many  a  faithful  servant  of 
our  Lord  that  the  work  is  sent  forth. 

It  is  with  pleasure  also  that  I  make  mention  of  the 
valuable  pecuniary  aid  extended  by  Mrs.  H.  Z. 
Duke,  of  Dallas,  Texas,  in  the  publication  of  this 
volume.  Mrs.  Duke  did  this  upon  suggestion  of 
Prof.  Chas.  T.  Ball.  She  cherishes  the  hope  that  the 
reading  and  study  of  this  book  may  lead  to  a  larger 
appreciation  of  the  Bible  as  a  missionary  message. 

w.  o.  c 

Louisville,  Ky, 


Contents 

I.  The  Fact  of  the  Bible  Marks  It  as  a 

Missionary  Message         ...        7 

II.  Biblical  History  Marks  the  Bible  as  a 

Missionary  Message         ...      24 

III.  Hebrew  Worship  Reveals  the  Mission- 

ary Message  of  the  Bible        .        .      42 

IV.  Prophecy     Proves    the    Bible     God's 

Missionary  Message         ...      60 

V.  The  Christ  God's  Missionary  Message      83 

VI.  Jesus,  God's  Son,  Founds  the  Mission- 

ary Enterprise 103 

VII.  Acts    the    Gospel  of  the   Missionary 

Power 122 

VIII.  Paul  the  Interpreter  of  the   Mission- 

ary Message 141 

IX.  The  Missionary  Message  in  the  Visions 

OF  Patmos M  5 

X.  The  Message  in  the  Tongues  of  Men    .     172 
Bibliography  .        .         .        <         .192 


THE  FACT  OF  THE  BIBLE  MARKS  IT  AS  A 
MISSIONARY  MESSAGE 

I.  Definitions. 

Let  us  first  of  all  ask  what  we  mean  by  Missions. 
Is  it  not  the  .sending  of  messages  to  those  who  need 
to  hear  them?  There  is  then  the  sender,  the  mes- 
sage, the  messenger,  the  receivers  of  the  message.  In 
Christian  Missions,  who  sends  the  message?  When 
did  He  begin  sending  the  message?  To  whom  does 
He  send  the  message?  Who  are  the  messengers? 
Are  there  several  classes  and  groups  of  messengers, 
as  well  as  numerous  individual  messengers  ?  Are  all 
these  messengers  intended  to  share,  and  together  to 
complete,  one  enterprise,  or  are  there  many  distinct, 
unrelated  enterprises?  Do  not  all  the  messengers 
come  from  the  one,  the  same,  God  ? 

What  is  the  message?  Where  shall  we  find  it? 
Does  the  Bible  contain  not  only  the  message  but  the 
plan  of  its  sending?  Are  angels  and  missionaries  all 
messengers?  What  is  the  difference  between  an  an- 
gel and  a  missionary?  What  other  messengers  has 
God  besides  angels  and  missionaries? 

II.  For  What  Reasons  Must  We  Call  the 
Bible  a  Missionary  Message?  How  Shall  We 
Describe  Our  Bible  ? 

I.    //  it  is  from  God,  through  messengers,  to  men, 
7 


8  The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

does  it  not  fulfill  all  the  features  of  a  missionary 
message?  If  we  examine  fully  the  nature  of  the 
Bible  and  the  facts  of  the  history  of  the  missionary 
enterprise  we  find  that  (the  Bible  is  designed  to  pro- 
duce, is  fitted  to  produce,  and  has  in  large  measure 
produced  the  missionary  enterprise.  This,  again, 
marks  it  as  a  missionary  message.  1 

If  we  go  further  and  look  into  the  message  which 
the  missionaries  deliver  when  they  go  to  non-Chris- 
tian and  unevangelized  peoples  we  find  them  draw- 
ing this  message  from  the  Scriptures,  which  are  thus 
to  them  the  missionary  message  of  God  whose  mes- 
sengers they  are. 

2.  The  bond  of  union  between  the  literature  of 
Hebrews  and  of  Christians. 

The  Bible  is  made  up  of  the  literature  of  the  He- 
brews and  the  writings  of  the  early  Christians.  Why 
did  these  two  groups  of  writings  come  to  be  united 
and  to  be  regarded  as  one  ?  Are  they  fundamentally 
and  essentially  one,  in  origin,  in  spirit,  in  purpose 
and  in  influence  ?  Were  the  early  Christians  right  in 
thinking  of  their  writings  as  being  the  counterpart 
and  the  complement  of  the  Hebrew  Scriptures? 
They  would  be  right  only  on  the  ground  that  the 
same  God  was  found  to  be  the  source  of  inspiration, 
the  object  of  worship  and  the  controlling  influence 
in  both.  The  Old  Testament  was  the  literature  of 
the  Hebrews,  "  a  people  with  a  genius  for  religion," 
the  people  through  whom  developed  to  clearness  and 
emphatic  assertion  the  monotheistic  conception.  The 
oneness  of  God,  His  holiness.  His  personality  were 
ideas  which  came  to  the  world  through  the  Hebrews 


The  Fact  of  the  Bible  Marks  It  9 

and  especially  through  the  Jews.  Did  the  one,  true, 
holy  and  good  God  use  the  Hebrews  and  their  Bible 
for  making  Himself  known  to  mankind?  If  so,  this 
(  Bible  is  a  message  to  mankind  through  the  Hebrew 
people. 

The  early  Church  was  a  new  organization  among 
men.  It  interpreted  itself  as  embodying  and  extend- 
ing the  spirit  of  the  Hebrew  people.  It  interpreted 
Jesus  Christ  as  the  incarnation  of  the  religious  ideals 
and  purposes  of  the  Old  Testament,  as  the  human 
expression  and  revelation  of  the  God  who  was  pro- 
gressively declaring  Himself  to  the  Hebrews  and 
through  them  declaring  Himself  to  the  world.  This 
understanding  of  Jesus  Christ  as  the  full  interpreta- 
tion, expression  and  embodiment  of  the  Hebrew  his- 
tory and  of  the  God  who  was  the  cause  of  Hebrew 
history  made  Jesus  at  once  the  supreme  inspiration 
and  the  final  authority  for  Christians.  By  this  in- 
spiration and  uncjer  this  authority  they  inaugurated 
the  enterprise  of  'Christianity  as  a  force  for  chang- 
ing the  world.  This  enterprise  extends  itself  by 
means  of  missions.  It  was  in  carrying  out  what 
they  regarded  as  the  commission  of  their  Master,  in 
giving  expression  to  His  spirit,  in  obeying  the  im- 
pulse which  faith  in  Him  produced  in  them  that 
these  early  Christians  went  far  and  wide,  and  in  go- 
ing produced  the  New  Testament.  The  New  Testa- 
ment is  at  once  the  interpretation  of  these  men  and 
women,  who  produced  this  new  enterprise  in  the  life 
of  humanity,  and  a  means  through  which  they  pro- 
duced their  influence  on  mankind. 

The  Bible  is  a  series  of  religious  messages  to  men. 


lo         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

purporting  to  come  from  God.  They  come  through 
men  and  are  directed  to  mankind.  Wherever  they 
reach  men  they  change  the  disposition  of  men,  their 
ideals,  their  standards,  their  institutions.  That  is, 
they  approve  themselves  as  messages  from  God,  they 
are  missionary. 

III.  The  Missionary  Character  of  the  Old 
Testament. 

1.  The  Missionary  use  Jesus  made  of  the  Old 
Testament. 

We  shall  later  have  studies  of  Jesus  especially,  but 
we  may  now  ask  how  He  gained  His  ideas  of  the 
nature  and  extent  of  His  Messiahship.  A  careful 
study  will  confirm  the  view  that  in  very  great  meas- 
ure He  constructed  His  ideas  and  His  programme  by 
study  of  His  Bible,  our  Old  Testament.  In  the 
proper  place  we  shall  see  howl  each  of  His  great  ut- 
terances, which  reveal  His  programme  and  plan,  is 
founded  on  definite  Old  Testament  teaching. ' 

2.  He  appointed  His  Missionaries  on  the  basis  of 
the  Old  Testament  Ideals. 

At  the  end  of  His  ministry,  when  He  had  arisen 
from  the  grave  and  had  met,  in  an  upper  room  in 
Jerusalem,  a  group  of  His  disciples,  including  ten  of 
His  apostles,  "  He  opened  their  minds  that  they 
might  understand  the  Scriptures."  (  He  interpreted 
to  them  "  the  things  which  are  written  in  the  Law  of 
Moses,  and  the  Prophets,  and  the  Psalms  concerning 
himself."  '  Then  He  summed  up  for  them  the  fea- 
tures which  for  Him  stood  out  in  each  and  all  these 
three  main  divisions  of  their  Bible,  saying:  "Thus  it 


The  Fact  of  the  Bible  Marks  It  11 

is  written,  (i)  that  the  Christ  should  suffer  and  rise 
again  from  the  dead  the  third  day;  (2)  and  that  re- 
pentance and  remission  of  sins  should  be  preached  in 
his  name;  (3)  unto  all  the  nations,  beginning  from 
Jerusalem;  (4)  Ye  are  witnesses  of  these  things; 
(5)  and  behold,  I  send  forth  the  promise  of  my 
Father  upon  you,  but  tarry  ye  in  the  city  until  ye  be 
clothed  with  power  from  on  high"  (see  Luke  24: 
36-48).  It  is  to  be  noted  that  all  these  items  Jesus 
found  in  their  Bible,  the  Old  Testament,  and  that  in 
this  inspiring  and  momentous  night  He  gave  these 
teachings  as  a  summary  of  what  the  Old  Testament 
taught  concerning  Himself.  It  was  a  significant 
meeting,  this  first  meeting  with  His  followers  after 
His  resurrection.  They  must  have  spent  much  of 
the  night  together  going  through  these  Scriptures. 
Did  Jesus  understand  the  Old  Testament?  Was  its 
teaching  about  the  Messiah  its  most  important  and 
its  most  determinative  feature  ?  Was  the  idea  of  the 
Messiah  and  of  His  mission  which  Jesus  found 
therein  the  idea  which  God  desired  men  to  get  from 
its  study? 

If  Jesus  understood  God  and  His  purpose,  then  the 
very  existence  of  the  Old  Testament  is  a  testimony 
to  God's  love  of  all  men  and  of  His  purpose  to  offer 
salvation  to  all  men;  it  is  God's  message  of  salvation 
to  all  men.  It  is  the  foundation  of  the  mis- 
sionary commission  and  enterprise.  This  which 
Jesus  inaugurated  and  organized  had  Its  origin  in  the 
heart  of  God.  No  part  of  the  Old  Testament  is  ever 
rightly  understood  until  it  is  interpreted  in  Its  rela- 
tion to  the  universal  Gospel.     This  evangelical  ele- 


12         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

ment  is  the  key  to  the  meaning,  the  bond  of  unity,  the 
standard  for  evaluating  all  the  teaching  of  this  won- 
derful literature.  In  speaking  to  Hebrews  God  was 
declaring  Himself  to  mankind. 

3.  The  History  of  the  Old  Testament  marks  it 
as  missionary. 

The  Old  Testament  history  recounts  three  great  oc- 
casions when  its  revelations  were  collected  and  copied 
down.  Each  time  all  of  previous  messages  that  God 
wished  preserved  was  combined  with  what  God  was 
understood  to  be  giving  at  that  time,  and  so  the  Old 
Testament  grew  into  that  form  in  which  we  know  it  as 
the  completed  Bible  of  the  Jews  and  the  Old  Testa- 
ment of  the  religion  of  the  eternal  God.  Moses  pre- 
pared the  first  edition,  (see  Ex.  19,  and  following 
chapters).  Again  in  the  times  of  Hezekiah  and  of  Jo- 
siah,  when  there  was  a  new  impetus  given  to  the 
study  of  the  Mosaic  writings  (see  2  Chron.  30-31, 
34-35),  it  is  probable  that  new  editions  were  copied 
and  that  much  of  the  revelations  and  records,  of  the 
time  from  Moses  on,  were  now  included.  Many 
great  prophets  had  spoken.  David  and  Solomon  had 
uttered  their  messages  from  God,  and  men  of  less 
note  had  written  and  spoken  for  God.  Once  again, 
when  the  Jews  had  returned  from  Babylon  and  Ezra 
was  organizing  their  worship  and  setting  them  again 
on  their  way  in  the  worship  and  service  of  God  he 
gave  them  the  Scriptures  (see  Neh.  8-10).  Since 
Joslah's  time  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  and  Ezekiel  had 
spoken,  and  many  psalms  had  been  written.  Daniel's 
wonderful  mission  had  been  fulfilled.  This  later 
edition  of  the  Scriptures,  possibly  not  even  yet  the 


The  Fact  of  the  Bible  Marks  It  13 

latest,  would  be  far  larger  than  that  of  Moses,  or 
even  than  that  of  Hilkiah.  Yet  this  notable  fact 
meets  any  careful  student:  in  every  edition  of  the 
Old  Testament  as  it  grew,  as  well  as  in  each  of  its 
'classified  divisions— Law,  Prophets,  Psalms— this  ele- 
ment of  God's  concern  and  purpose  and  love  for  all 
men  is  to  be  found,  and  found  holding  a  prominent 
place.  The  stamp  of  the  missionary  purpose  is  on 
its  every  part.  Jesus  saw  this  and  pointed  it  out 
with  emphasis.  In  His  Bible  His  God  and  Father 
spoke  to  Him  of  all  men. 

IV.  The  Missionary  Character  of  the  New 
Testament. 

If  we  look  at  the  New  Testament  its  missionary 
quality  is  even  more  obvious.  In  most  versions  we 
have  not  the  books  of  the  New  Testament  arranged 
in  the  order  in  which  they  were  written.  It  is  not 
possible  to  determine  in  just  what  order  they  were 
prepared.  It  is  certain,  though,  that  several  epistles 
were  written  and  circulated  earlier  than  any  of  our 
Gospels. 

I.     The  general  facts. 

Jesus  Himself  wrote  nothing,  so  far  as  we  know, 
nor  is  there  any  record  that  He  commanded  or  sug- 
gested the  writing  of  anything. 

No  writing  of  our  New  Testament  makes  any 
claim  to  having  been  written  to  be  a  part  of  the  sa- 
cred Scriptures,  nor  does  any  one  of  them  except 
Revelation  reveal  any  clear  consciousness  of  the 
writer  that  he  was  composing  a  work  that  would  be- 
come part  and  parcel  of  an  abiding,  an  eternal  Word 


14         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

of  God  to  men.  One  may  easily  enough  suppose 
that  the  writers  were  thus  conscious  of  their  impor- 
tance and  of  their  inspiration,  and  abundant  evidence 
can  be  found  to  support  this  hypothesis.  The  fact 
remains  that  they  did  not,  usually  at  least,  write  as 
for  all  time  but  for  their  own  times. 

It  is,  of  course,  well  known  that  at  first  their  writ- 
ings were  not  parts  of  a  recognized  whole,  but  were 
all  separate  and  each  one  had  its  own  place  and  use. 
It  was  not  until  after  the  middle  of  the  second  cen- 
tury that  they  were  all  brought  together  in  one 
grouping  and  begun  to  be  copied  as  one  whole,  to  be 
looked  upon  as  God's  revelation  of  a  New  Testa- 
ment, i.  e.y  New  Covenant,  with  mankind.  Their  in- 
spiration had  by  this  time  approved  them  to  the  con- 
sciences of  Christian  men  as  God's  word.  They 
knew  the  human  authorship  and  accepted  it  as  a 
pledge  of  honesty  and  genuineness  of  revelation  and 
so  "  the  canon  of  Holy  Scripture  "  came  to  be  com- 
pleted. 

2.     Circumstances  of  the  writing  of  the  hooks. 

Now  let  us  go  back  of  all  this  and  see  these  New 
Testament  books  in  the  making.  Let  us  inquire 
what  human  situations  called  for  them  and  what  hu- 
man motives  inspired  them.  For  the  Holy  Spirit 
used  human  situations,  and  wrought  with  and  upon 
human  motives,  to  produce  them.  What,  then,  do 
we  find? 

We  find  that  Jesus  imparted  to  His  faithful  fol- 
lowers a  fine  spiritual  imperialism,  a  dauntless  spirit 
of  conquest,  a  holy  ambition  to  master  the  world  in 
His  name.     And  He  left  them  with  a  commission. 


The  Fact  of  the  Bible  Marks  It  15 

oft-repeated,  to  go  into  all  the  world  as  witnesses  to 
Him.  And  He  sent  upon  them  His  Holy  Spirit  to 
give  them  boldness  and  power  and  persistent  energy 
in  spreading  the  knowledge  of  God's  salvation  among 
men.  I  When  on  Pentecost  (Acts  2)  the  Holy  Spirit 
came  upon  them  it  was  with  two  physical  symbols: 
**  a  noise  as  of  the  rushing  of  a  mighty  wind,"  sug- 
gestive of  a  new,  driving  and  cleansing  force  in  the 
world;  and  an  appearance  "like  as  of  fire,"  a  sheet 
of  flame,  breaking  up  into  tongues  one  of  which 
rested  upon  each  of  the  one  hundred  and  twenty  per- 
sons in  the  room,  suggesting  that  they  should  all  be- 
gin telling  the  story  of  Jesus,  the  crucified,  risen, 
living  Lord,  the  Saviour  of  the  world.  At  once  they 
began  speaking,  in  all  the  tongues  represented  in  the 
crowds  in  Jerusalem,  "  mighty  works  of  God."  And 
they  continued  this  testimony  wherever  they  went, 
and  on  whatever  errand.  Whether  on  business  or 
pleasure  they  travelled,  or  if  "  scattered  abroad  "  by 
persecution,  "  they  went  through  the  land  telling  the 
glad  tidings  of  the  word"  (see  Acts  8:4).  God 
took  part  with  them  (see  Acts  4:29-31,  15:4,  12, 
etc.),  and  so  caused  wonderful  spread  of  the  Gospel 
and  rapid  multiplication  of  believers.  Soon  church 
groups  were  springing  up  in  various  city  centers,  not 
only  in  Palestine,  but  quite  beyond  its  borders,  even 
in  Egypt,  Syria,  Rome  and  elsewhere.  To  these 
groups,  many  among  whom  had  no  personal  knowl- 
edge of  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  and  few  of  whom  had 
any  sufficient  understanding  of  the  nature  and  mean- 
ing of  the  spiritual  life  so  remarkably  begun  in  them, 
or  of  the  great  enterprise  of  which  they  had  now  be- 


l6         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

come  a  part,  to  these  new  disciples  the  men  who 
knew  most  and  understood  best  the  Hfe  and  reUgion 
of  Jesus  began  to  write  letters  and  discourses  ex- 
plaining the  nature  of  the  Christian  life.  Especially 
after  the  Holy  Spirit  had  led  the  workers  to  begin  a 
definite  programme  of  extending  the  preaching  of 
the  Gospel  among  Gentiles  (see  Acts  13),  did  Paul, 
the  great  organizing  leader  in  this  movement,  begin 
writing  letters  to  the  churches  which  were  produced 
by  the  missionary  labours.  In  this  way  there  came 
into  existence  the  earliest  of  our  New  Testament 
books,  James,  i  and  2  Thessalonians,  and  a  little  later 
Galatians. 

Again,  "  in  these  days  when  the  number  of  the 
disciples  was  multiplying"  (Acts  6:1),  there  would 
be  demand  for  information  concerning  the  life  and 
teachings  of  Jesus.  This  information  would  be  re- 
quired by  new  converts  for  their  instruction  and 
training,  and  also  for  use  in  the  work  of  witnessing, 
in  which  all  were  expected  to  take  part  and  to  which 
their  experience  impelled  them.  They  must  know 
the  main  facts  concerning  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  Thus 
it  came  about  quite  naturally  and  inevitably  that 
*  many  took  in  hand  to  draw  up  a  narrative  concern- 
ing those  matters  which  had  been  fulfilled  among  the 
Christians.'  These  narratives  would  be  based  on 
what  was  delivered  unto  the  incoming  believers  by 
"them  who  from  the  first  were  eye-witnesses  and 
ministers  of  the  Word'*  (see  Luke  i :  1-4).  The  two 
uses  of  these  narratives  were  both  strictly  missionary ; 
(i)  for  instructing  and  confirming  converts  gained 
by  the  missionary  labours  of  the  numerous  witnesses ; 


The  Fact  of  the  Bible  Marks  It  17 

v(2)  for  use  in  these  missionary  labours  for  winning 
converts,  just  as  gospel  tracts,  including  extracts 
from  the  Gospels,  single  Gospels  and  Epistles,  are 
employed  in  missionary  work  to-day.  Of  the 
"  many  "  gospels  thus  brought  into  being,  three  won 
the  final  and  permanent  approval  of  all  Christians, 
as  being  apostolic  and  authoritative  narratives  of  the 
words  and  works  of  our  Saviour.  They  were  all,  in 
the  double  sense  indicated,  missionary  tracts.  One 
of  them,  Luke,  was  composed  by  Paul's  companion 
and  physician,  and  was,  no  doubt,  intended  to  be 
used  for  promoting  just  such  work  as  Paul  was 
doing. 

Jesus  left  no  full  and  detailed  instructions  con- 
cerning the  organization,  discipline  and  social  func- 
tioning of  His  churches,  so  far  as  any  report  of  His 
teachings  informs  us.  These  were  to  be  wrought 
out  and  stated  in  the  experiences  of  the  churches 
under  the  direction  of  the  missionary  apostles.  All 
these  early  churches  were  necessarily  missionary 
churches.  They  were  in  the  midst  of  environments 
that  presented  to  them  all  sorts  of  problems.  To 
meet  these  problems  the  missionaries  not  only  gave 
oral  guidance  when  present  with  them,  but  also 
found  it  needful  to  write  frequently  and  at  length,  to 
direct  the  growing  churches  in  matters  of  faith  and 
duty,  in  worship  and  in  work.  Such  were  the 
Epistles  to  the  Corinthians,  and  others. 

To  the  second  generation  of  leaders  of  the 
churches,  such  as  Timothy  and  Titus,  the  older  mis- 
sionary apostles  would  write  instructions  and  exhor- 
tations looking  toward  the  extension  and  perpetua- 


l8         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

tion  of  the  great  enterprise.  Thus  we  have  the  Pas- 
toral Epistles. 

In  the  progress  of  the  work  occasion  would  arise 
for  personal  correspondence.  One  of  Paul's  good 
friends  was  Philemon  of  Colossse,  no  doubt  won  to 
the  Lord  during  Paul's  three  years  in  the  province  of 
Asia  (see  Acts  19:26).  One  of  the  slaves  of  this 
man,  who  had  run  away,  was  soundly  converted  to 
the  Christian  faith  and  life  while  Paul  was  in  prison 
at  Rome.  To  these  facts  in  Paul's  labours  we  owe 
the  wonderful  little  letter  to  Philemon,  which  reveals 
Paul's  personality  in  remarkable  degree. 

To  the  heroic  action  of  one  Gaius  in  supporting 
missionaries  to  the  heathen  in  the  face  of  bitter  op- 
position of  his  church  under  a  false  leadership  we 
owe  the  Third  Epistle  of  John,  which  carries  the 
finest  statement  we  have  of  the  principles  of  financial 
support  of  missions. 

In  the  same  way  Jesus  left  the  theology  of  Chris- 
tianity to  be  developed  by  His  apostles.  Paul  was 
the  chief  of  these.  It  was  in  reflection  on  the  nature 
and  meaning  of  his  Lord  in  relation  to  a  gospel  for 
all  mankind  that  he  was  inspired  by  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  write  out  the  great  doctrines  of  the  Christian  Sal- 
vation, the  Christian  Righteousness,  the  Christian 
World-significance,  and  the  Person  and  Function  of 
the  Christ.  These  he  stated  in  the  letters  which  he 
wrote  to  the  churches  of  the  growing  missionary  en- 
terprise, Galatians,  Romans,  Ephesians,  Philippians, 
Colossians. 

This  new  enterprise  in  the  world  was  certain  to 
meet  the  ridicule  and  the  antagonistic  argument  of 


The  Fact  of  the  Bible  Marks  It  19 

existmg  religions  and  philosophies.  The  first  con- 
flict was  with  Judaism.  Then  came  the  opposition, 
and  in  some  quarters  the  more  dangerous  patronage, 
of  Greek  philosophies.  Two  of  these  philosophies, 
the  Jewish  Alexandrian  which  originated  and 
flourished  in  Egypt,  and  the  Gnostic  which  began 
in  various  quarters  in  the  first  century  and 
flourished  in  the  second,  became  serious  menaces 
to  the  right  understanding  of  Jesus  Christ.  By  way 
of  meeting  these  attacks  and  dangers,  besides  sec- 
tions of  other  writings,  we  have  several  writings  es- 
pecially designed  for  this  purpose.  Hebrews  shows 
the  superiority  of  Christianity  to  Judaism  and  its 
ideal  excellence,  answering  the  arguments  Jews  were 
using  against  the  new,  aggressive,  spreading  religion. 
John's  Gospel  and  first  two  Epistles  meet  the  Alexan- 
drian philosophy  and  some  of  the  claims  of  the  Gnos- 
tic teachers.  Paul  also  deals  with  this  last,  in  Colos- 
sians  especially. 

Finally,  the  success  of  Christian  missions  brought 
on  persecutions  in  the  efforts  of  the  Roman  govern- 
ment to  check  and  suppress  it.  Within  the  first  cen- 
tury two  general,  or  widely  extended,  efforts  of  this 
kind  brought  the  Christians  under  terrible  sufferings. 
This  experience  was  the  occasion  for  apostolic  mes- 
sages to  the  persecuted  saints  to  steady  and  encour- 
age them  to  remain  faithful  under  the  trials  and  to 
use  the  trials  as  opportunities  for  advertising  their 
Saviour  and  for  further  influencing  the  world.  The 
letters  of  Peter  and  Jude  and  the  Revelation  were 
produced  out  of  this  situation. 

It  is  obvious  that  Acts  is,  in  Luke's  purpose,  the 


20         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

story  of  how  the  ascended  Lord,  by  means  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  working  in  the  Church,  continued  the 
work  He  had  begun  in  His  early  life/*  until  the  day 
in  which  he  was  delivered  up,  after  that  he  had 
given  commandment  through  the  Holy  Spirit  unto 
the  apostles  whom  he  had  chosen"  (see  Acts 
i:i-ii).  As  Luke's  first  writing  is  the  Gospel  of 
Jesus,  the  Founder  of  the  Missionary  Enterprise,  so 
his  second  is  the  Gospel  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Di- 
rector and  Power  in  the  Missionary  Enterprise. 
[Acts  is  the  first  chapter  of  the  story  of  the  missionary 
conquest  of  the  world,!  a  story  that  would  have 
grown  far  more  rapidly  if  '  its  true  nature  had  all 
along  been  understood  and  faithfully  accepted  by  the 
professed  followers  of  Jesus. 

We  may  sum  up  the  contents  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment and  the  facts  concerning  its  production  by  call- 
ing it  the  literature,  (i)  Of  an  Expanding  Gospel; 
(2)  Of  a  Developing  Church;  (3)  Of  a  Growing 
Theology;  (4)  Of  a  Controverted  Faith;  (5)  Of  a 
Persecuted  People. 


V.  Consequent  Missionary  Emphasis  of  the 
Whole. 

It  should  be  very  clear  to  us  that  God's  plan  for 
giving  us  our  New  Testament  was  to  give  it  in  con- 
nection with  the  missionary  activity  of  the  early 
Christians.  Every  book  of  the  New  Testament  was 
produced  first  of  all  to  meet  a  need  of  missions  and 
CO  promote  the  work  of  missions.  Is  it  possible  to 
think  of  any  way  in  which  God  could  more  emphatic- 


The  Fact  of  the  Bible  Marks  It  21 

ally  have  made  known  His  wish  that  all  who  know 
Him  should  be  missionaries  ? 

Jesus  gave  the  missionary  interpretation  to  the  Old 
Testament,  as  we  have  seen.  He  then  gave  to  His 
disciples  His  commission  to  go  into  all  the  world 
with  His  Gospel.  Then  the  Holy  Spirit  gave  to  the 
disciples  their  Bible  as  they  worked  under  their  com- 
mission and  made  their  Saviour  known  in  the  world. 
Could  the  whole  plan  of  the  Bible  and  its  making 
have  put  greater  honour  and  emphasis  on  missions  ? 

Is  not  the  whole  Bible  just  various  forms  of  say- 
ing :  "  God  so  loved  the  world,  that  he  gave  his  only 
begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  him 
should  not  perish,  but  have  eternal  life"?  (John 
3:16). 

Is  not  the  fact  of  the  Bible's  existence  an  age-long 
proclamation  that  "  God  our  Saviour  *  *  * 
would  have  all  men  to  be  saved,  and  to  come  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth.  For  there  is  one  God,  one 
Mediator  also  between  God  and  men,  himself  (a) 
man,  Christ  Jesus,  who  gave  himself  a  ransom  for 
all,  the  testimony  to  be  borne  in  its  own  times  "  ? 
(i  Tim.  2:s-6). 

Does  not  God  speak  in  the  whole  Bible  saying: 
"  Behold,  my  servant,  whom  I  uphold ;  my  chosen  in 
whom  my  soul  delighteth :  I  have  put  my  Spirit  upon 
him:  he  will  bring  forth  justice  to  the  nations. 
*  *  *  He  will  not  fail  nor  be  discouraged  till  he 
have  set  justice  in  the  earth;  and  (even)  the  isles 
(with  only  small  groups  of  men)  shall  wait  for  his 
law  (so  that  none  shall  be  left  out)  ?  "  (Isa.  42 :  i,  4). 

Is  not  God  everywhere  bidding  men  to  hope  and 


22         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

labour  because  "  according  to  his  promise,  we  look 
for  new  heavens  and  a  new  earth,  wherein  dwelleth 
righteousness"?  (2  Pet.  3:13).  Has  not  God 
through  all  the  centuries  been  calling  to  men,  so  soon 
as  they  knew  Him,  to  be  the  messengers  of  His  love 
and  grace  to  all  men  in  order  that  they  might  be 
saved?  "Thus  saith  Jehovah,  the  King  of  Israel, 
and  his  Redeemer,  Jehovah  of  hosts:  I  am  the 
first  and  I  am  the  last;  and  besides  me  there  is  no 
God.  And  who,  as  I  (my  representative,  my  spokes- 
man) shall  call,  and  shall  declare  it,  and  set  it  in 
order  for  me  (give  a  true  interpretation  of  history), 
since  I  established  the  ancient  people  ?  and  the  things 
that  are  coming,  and  that  shall  come  to  pass  let  them 
declare.  Fear  ye  not,  neither  be  afraid:  have  I  not 
declared  tmto  thee  of  old,  and  showed  it  (f.  e.,  dem- 
onstrated it)  ?  And  ye  are  my  witnesses  "  (Isa.  44: 
6-8). 

In  all  stages  of  His  revelation  as  it  was  making 
and  in  every  book  of  it  when  recorded  God  has  been 
asserting  His  claim  upon  the  whole  human  race; 
proclaiming  His  love  to  all  mankind;  urging  His 
worshippers  to  "declare  his  glory  among  the  na- 
tions "  (Ps.  96:  3)  ;  asking  ever,  "whom  shall  I  send, 
and  who  will  go  for  us?"  and  waiting  until  men 
would  answer,  "  Here  am  I,  send  me  "  (Isa.  6:8). 

In  its  facts  and  in  its  formation  is  not  the  Bible 
marked  through  and  through  as  God's  missionary 
message  ? 


The  Fact  of  the  Bible  Marks  It  23 

Questions  for  Review  and  Reflection 

Did  Jesus  Christ  really  understand  the  heart  of  the 
Old  Testament? 

How  far  did  Jesus  draw  from  the  Old  Testament 
His  ideas  of  His  Messiahship  and  His  kingdom? 

What  use  did  Jesus  make  of  the  Old  Testament  in 
His  meeting  with  the  disciples  on  the  evening  of  the 
resurrection  ? 

What  was  God's  method  of  making  the  New  Tes- 
tament ? 

Show  the  connection  of  each  class  of  New  Testa- 
ment writings  with  the  missionary  enterprise. 

Does  the  Bible  seem  any  less  divinely  inspired 
when  thought  of  as  produced  in  the  progress  of 
God's  plan  with  men  and  to  help  on  that  plan  ? 

Can  any  one  really  understand  the  Bible  except  by 
interpreting  it  from  the  missionary  standpoint  ? 

Can  one  interpret  the  Bible  without  himself  being 
dominated  by  the  missionary  spirit  ? 


II 

BIBLICAL  HISTORY  MARKS  THE  BIBLE  AS 
A  MISSIONARY  MESSAGE 

No  other  history  was  ever  composed  like  that  con- 
tained in  the  Bible.  Why  is  this  ?  It  is  not  a  history 
of  the  world.  Yet  the  world's  history  is  epitomized 
there.  And  has  it  not  come  about  that  all  histories 
of  the  world  are  in  a  way  tested  by  this  ? 

I.    Characteristics  of  Biblical  History. 

I.     The  History  of  an  idea. 

The  Bible  is  not,  in  the  ordinary  sense,  a  history 
of  the  Hebrews.  It  is  not  their  deeds  that  are  re- 
corded but  their  reaction  to  the  will  and  the  covenant 
of  Jehovah.  It  was  His  land  on  which  they  lived 
and  wrought  their  destiny.  They  were  His  people. 
Their  national  plan  was  the  unfolding  of  His  pur- 
pose. Their  prosperity  and  their  adversity  were  ex- 
plained in  relation  to  their  righteousness  or  their  dis- 
obedience, and  iniquity  as  measured  by  the  commands 
and  desires  of  Jehovah,  their  God.  It  is  the  history 
of  an  idea  and  a  programme,  not  of  a  nation,  nor  of 
an  organization,  that  we  have  in  the  Bible.  So  far 
as  the  people  play  a  part  at  all  in  the  history  it  is  as  a 
people  rather  than  as  a  nation,  God's  people  through 
whom  His  idea  and  programme  are  pushing  their  way 
in  the  life  of  the  world.    And  when  the  people  fail 

24 


Biblical  History  Marks  It  25 

in  carrying  forward  the  programme  their  history 
ceases  and  the  idea  and  programme  embody  them- 
selves in  another  people,  a  people  made  up  of  men 
and  women  gathered  from  various  peoples,  from 
"  every  tribe  and  tongue  and  people  and  nation,"  in 
the  oft-recurring  phrase  of  the  Revelation.  While 
gathered  from  all  sources  yet  the  people  who  embody 
and  carry  forward  the  idea  and  ideals  which  are  the 
burden  of  the  Bible  story  are  not,  after  the  coming 
of  Christ,  physically  separated  from  the  tribes, 
tongues,  peoples  and  nations  from  whom  they  are 
chosen.  The  idea  is  making  itself  at  home  in  all 
lands  and  climes,  among  all  races  and  peoples.  That 
is  its  destiny,  that  its  objective.  "  The  kingdom  of 
the  world  is  become  our  Lord's  and  that  of  his 
Christ ;  and  he  shall  reign  unto  the  age  of  the  ages." 
Such  is  the  message  of  the  "  great  voices  in  heaven  " 
which  John  heard  in  Patmos  (see  Rev.  11:15)- 

2.     The  Introduction  to  the  History  of  the  idea. 

The  first  ten  chapters  tell  all  the  Bible  has  to  tell 
of  the  history  of  the  race  or  of  religion  up  to  the 
time  of  Abraham,  less  than  two  thousand  years  be- 
fore Christ.  According  to  the  traditional  chronol- 
ogy this  Is  more  than  half  the  time  from  Adam  to 
Jesus.  According  to  modem  anthropological  studies 
it  is,  of  course,  far  more  than  that.  These  ten  chap- 
ters constitute  a  sort  of  prologue,  or  introductory 
preface,  to  the  Bible,  which  enters  upon  its  definite 
purpose  at  chapter  12,  chapter  11  constituting  a 
sort  of  special,  transitional  introduction  to  the  story 
of  the  Hebrew  founders.  Now  a  good  preface  in- 
troduces us  to  the  constructive  idea  of  a  book. 


26         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

What  do  we  find  in  these  ten  chapters  ?  Do  we  not 
discover  such  ideas  as  these?  (i)  God,  the  Author 
of  all  being,  made  man  as  the  crown  of  His  creative 
work  to  be  a  companion  of  God  Himself.  (2)  When 
man,  at  the  first  issue  of  ethical  test,  the  eating  of 
"  the  tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,"  took 
the  way  of  sin  and  disobedience  he  became  incapable 
of  that  high  fellowship  with  God  which  was  his 
birthright.  Man,  therefore,  entered  upon  a  career 
of  hardship  in  sin.  (3)  At  once  (3:15)  God  an- 
nounces a  warfare  between  the  seed  of  the  serpent 
of  evil  and  the  seed  of  the  woman  in  which,  though 
bruised,  the  seed  of  the  woman  shall  win.  (4)  Men 
in  the  course  of  their  history  developed  deepening  in- 
tensity in  sin,  but  God  did  not  lose  interest  in  them. 
"  It  grieved  him  at  his  heart,"  "  It  repented  God 
that  he  had  made  man,"  for  it  became  necessary  in 
the  interest  of  holiness  to  destroy  man  from  the  face 
of  the  ground.  (5)  Yet  did  God  not  give  up  His 
plan  and  purpose.  He  saved  the  family  of  Noah  and 
with  them  made  a  new  beginning  under  a  special 
covenant.  This  covenant  embraced  all  the  children 
and  all  the  descendants  of  Noah  (see  chapter  9).  It 
is  important  to  keep  this  in  mind  as  also  the  fact  that 
during  all  the  time  up  to  the  flood  God  has  dealt  with 
the  race  as  a  whole.  All  have  been  alike  before 
Him.  The  narrative  is  careful  to  declare  the  unity 
and  solidarity  of  all  men  under  this  covenant  and 
afterward  (10:32-11:1).  (6)  This  renewed  race 
by  pride,  self-sufficiency  and  lack  of  confidence  in 
God,  became  confused,  broke  up  into  fragments  and 
were  scattered  abroad  upon  the  face  of  all  the  earth. 


Biblical  History  Marks  It  27 

Now  what  was  God  to  do,  who  made  all  men,  who 
loved  them  all,  who  has  never  surrendered  His  con- 
trol of  them  nor  His  ideal  for  them?  At  this  point 
the  prologue  ends  and  the  story  begins.  The  back- 
ground is  given,  the  motif  appears  and  the  drama 
proceeds.  It  is  the  drama  of  a  loving  God  redeem- 
ing a  disobedient  and  willful  race.  The  material  is 
before  Him,  the  Great  Workman  begins.  It  is  a 
work  of  centuries,  of  ages. 

II.    Embodying  the  Idea  in  a  People. 

1.  The  purpose  of  an  elect  race. 

It  is  thus  at  Genesis  12  that  Hebrew  history  be- 
gins, and  the  Bible  begins  as  a  revelation  of  God  and 
His  work  of  spiritual  creation.  For  is  not  the  spir- 
itual nature  of  humanity  just  such  a  chaotic  mass,  a 
formless  void,  as  was  the  matter  of  Genesis  i  out  of 
which  God  wrought  the  worlds,  including  our  earth 
and  all  its  products?  And  as  the  Spirit  of  God 
brooded  over  the  face  of  that  first,  material  deep, 
was  He  not  equally  and  in  a  higher  sense,  brooding 
over  this  spiritual  chaos  to  shape  it  into  beauty  and 
glory  through  succeeding  stages  of  spiritual  re-crea- 
tion ?  We  have  thenceforward  the  story  of  an  elect 
people,  chosen  for  the  sake  of  the  human  race. 

2.  Abraham  and  the  ideal  of  God. 

God  made  quite  clear  to  Abraham  the  universal 
reach  of  the  love  that  singled  out  this  one  man  and 
his  seed  to  be  the  chosen  of  the  God  of  all.  "  Now 
Jehovah  said  unto  Abram,  Get  thee  out  of  thy  coun- 
try, and  from  thy  kindred,  and  from  thy  father's 
house,  unto  the  land  that  I  will  show  thee :  and  I  will 


28         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

make  of  thee  a  great  nation,  and  I  will  bless  thee,  and 
make  thy  name  great;  and  be  thou  a  blessing."  It 
was  tJiis  last  that  was  God's  objective,  and  it  must  be 
Abram's  objective  to  be  a  blessing  if  he  is  to  claim 
the  promises.  God  goes  over  the  ground  again  with 
Abram,  in  terms  more  concrete:  "And  I  will  bless 
them  that  bless  thee,  and  him  that  curseth  thee  will  I 
curse:  and  in  thee  shall  all  the  families  of  the  earth 
be  blessed"  (see  Gen.  12: 1-3).  Later  God  assigns 
as  the  reason  for  making  known  to  Abraham  what 
He  was  about  to  do  in  destroying  Sodom,  that 
"Abraham  shall  surely  become  a  great  and  mighty 
nation,  and  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  shall  be 
blessed  in  him,"  and  He  goes  on  to  explain  that  this 
great  end  is  the  reason  for  the  call  of  Abram  and 
for  all  the  providences  that  are  to  follow  him  and  his 
descendants  (see  Gen.  18: 16-19).  Again  when  God 
had  prevented  Abraham  from  sacrificing  Isaac,  the 
son  of  the  promises,  God  praises  the  loyalty  of  His 
servant  in  even  this  mistaken  idea  of  sacrifice,  prom- 
ises the  greatest  blessing,  and  says,  as  a  climax  of 
honour :  "And  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth  be  blessed;  because  thou  hast  obeyed  my 
voice'*  (see  Gen.  22:9-19). 

Through  four  centuries  this  great  man  was  able  to 
project  something  of  this  sublime  idea  through  his 
descendants  so  that  they  maintained  their  distinct- 
ness and  their  sense  of  divine  destiny  until,  called 
and  delivered  out  of  Egypt,  they  stood  before  God 
and  Moses  at  Mount  Sinai.  Here  they  were,  the 
raw  material  out  of  which  a  nation  was  to  be  con- 
structed and  a  religion  established  that  should  be. 


Biblical  History  Marks  It  29 

both  the  nation  and  the  religion,  unique  in  the  world 
and  in  influence  on  the  world. 

3.     The  Ideal  in  the  founding  of  the  national  life 
under  Moses. 

Ask  almost  any  student  of  the  Bible  what  was  the 
beginning  of  the  revelations  and  of  the  teaching  at 
Mount  Sinai  and  the  answer  will  be:  "The  Ten 
Commandments."  There  has  been  no  end  of  re- 
search, study,  and  controversy  over  the  social,  ethical 
and  liturgical  laws  of  the  Hebrews,  recorded  in  Exo- 
dus and  Leviticus.  Very  few  have  paid  attention  to 
the  most  important  of  all  the  laws  there  given.  The 
few  who  have  noticed  this  revelation  at  all  have 
given  very  little  attention  to  it.  Which  is  more  im- 
portant, the  ideals  of  a  people  or  their  detailed  laws? 
Is  not  the  soul  of  any  people  to  be  found  in  its  ideal 
rather  than  in  its  regulations?  A  national  purpose 
is  even  more  vital,  and  more  elemental  than  the  fun- 
damental laws,  like  the  Ten  Commandments.  The 
detailed  legislation  is  largely  influenced  by  the  domi- 
nant ideal,  the  conscious  end  of  the  life  of  the  people. 
In  one  brief,  primary  message  through  Moses  God 
sought  to  set  before  the  Israelites  a  supreme  motive, 
to  inspire  them  with  a  supreme  ideal.  This  was  His 
very  first  revelation.  It  came  before  any  legislation, 
before  the  Commandments.  If  the  people  had  ac- 
cepted this  ideal  and  had  constructed  and  maintained 
their  national  life  in  accordance  with  it  the  history 
of  humanity  would  have  been  very  different  from  its 
actual  course. 

"Moses  went  up  unto  God,  and  Jehovah  called 
unto  him  out  of  the  mountain,  saying.  Thus  shalt 


30         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

thou  say  to  the  house  of  Jacob,  and  tell  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel:  Ye  have  seen  what  I  did  unto  the 
Egyptians,  and  how  I  bare  you  on  eagles'  wings,  and 
brought  you  unto  myself.  Now,  therefore,  if  ye  will 
obey  my  voice  indeed,  and  keep  my  covenant,  then 
ye  shall  be  mine  own  possession  from  among  all  peo- 
ples: for  all  the  earth  is  mine:  and  ye  shall  be  unto 
me  a  kingdom  of  priests,  a  holy  nation.  These  are 
the  words  which  thou  shalt  speak  unto  the  children 
of  Israel"  (Ex.  19:3-6).  Is  it  not  evident  here 
that  Jehovah  lays  stress  on  the  spiritual  deliverance 
of  His  people  rather  than  upon  physical  escape? 
Does  He  not  make  the  place  of  Israel  in  His  affec- 
tion dependent  upon  their  loyalty  to  His  words  and 
plans?  Is  it  not  made  very  clear  that  Jehovah 
claims,  and  will  still  claim,  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth,  and  that  He  may  choose  from  among  them  all 
a  people  to  be  His  special  people  for  a  special  serv- 
ice? 

Now,  what  is  the  special  service  for  which  Jeho- 
vah God  is  choosing  and  forming  a  people?  He  will 
make  of  them  a  kingdom  of  priests.  It  is  the  func- 
tion of  a  priest  to  lead  a  congregation  in  worship. 
If  all  the  Hebrews  are  to  be  priests  in  this  special 
spiritual  sense,  to  be  In  fact  a  priest-nation,  who  are 
thought  of  as  making  up  the  congregation  to  be  led 
in  the  worship  of  Jehovah  ?  Can  we  escape  the  con- 
clusion that  God  is  forming  Israel  to  be  His  servant 
to  lead  all  the  nations  to  Him  and  to  His  worship? 
What  an  ideal  God  is  setting  before  this  people ! 

4.  From  Moses  onward  the  Hebrew  history  is  the 
history  of  the  struggle  for  the  idea  of  one,  holy. 


Biblical  History  Marks  It  31 

righteous  God  and  for  the  ideal  of  leading  all  nations 
to  the  knowledge  and  worship  of  this  only  God. 

(i)  Apart  from  this  idea  and  this  ideal  Hebrew 
history  would  lose  its  meaning  for  humanity  as  a 
whole,  and  would  possess  only  curious  interest  for 
scientific  historians  and  idle  antiquaries. 

(2)  In  the  disastrous  days  of  Isaiah,  when  the 
people  had  lost  the  spiritual  ideal  and  were  scattered 
and  oppressed,  Jehovah  comes  to  them  through  that 
great  prophet  with  a  promise  of  sympathetic  tender- 
ness and  assurance.  Those  whom  He  had  formed 
and  made  for  Himself,  Jehovah  will  protect,  deliver 
and  restore,  "  every  one  that  is  called  by  his  name." 
But  it  is  all  for  a  great,  splendid,  wide-reaching  pur- 
pose: "Bring  forth  the  (spiritually)  blind  people 
that  have  eyes,  and  the  (religiously)  deaf  that  have 
ears.  Let  all  the  nations  be  gathered  together,  and 
let  the  peoples  be  assembled."  All  the  world  is 
called  Into  a  religious  conference.  Their  religions 
are  to  be  compared.  "  Who  among  them  can  declare 
this,  and  show  us  former  things?  let  them  bring 
their  witnesses  that  they  may  be  justified"  in 
their  heathen  religions,  their  idolatries  and  their  su- 
perstitions. Or  else,  if  they  cannot  approve  their 
religions  by  history  and  achievement,  "  let  them  hear, 
and  say.  It  is  truth.  Ye  are  my  witnesses,  saith  Je- 
hovah, and  my  servant  whom  I  have  chosen ;  that  ye 
may  know  and  believe  me,  and  imderstand  that  I  am 
he:  before  me  was  no  God  formed,  neither  shall 
there  be  after  me.  I,  even  I,  am  Jehovah;  and  be- 
sides me  there  is  no  Saviour.  I  have  declared,  and  I 
have  saved,   and   (thus)    I  have   showed    (demon- 


32         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

strated  my  Saviourhood) ;  and  it  was  no  strange 
thing  (mere  unproved  theory)  among  you :  therefore 
ye  are  my  witnesses,  saith  Jehovah,  and  I  am  God. 
Yea,  since  the  day  was  I 'am  he;  and  there  is  none 
that  can  deUver  out  of  my  hand:  I  will  work,  and 
who  can  hinder  it?"  (see  Isa.  43:  1-13). 

Is  it  not  here  emphatically  clear  that  God  is  think- 
ing first  of  all  of  Himself  as  the  only  Saviour  for 
mankind,  and  of  the  nations  of  men  in  their  defective 
religions  as  needing  to  be  taught  of  Him;  and  then 
of  a  people  specially  chosen  and  trained  to  be  His 
witnesses  to  these  other  peoples?  He  gives  assur- 
ance of  success  if  they  will  undertake  this  function 
and  fearlessly  give  their  witness. 

(3)  How  shall  we  interpret  Jesus'  parable  of  the 
Wicked  Husbandmen  except  on  the  principle  of  elec- 
tion which  we  are  now  studying?  (see  Matt.  21: 
33-45).  It  was  because  of  the  failure  of  the  Jews 
to  fulfill  the  divinely  appointed  purpose  that  Jesus 
declares :  "  Therefore  I  say  unto  you,  the  kingdom 
of  God  shall  be  taken  away  from  you,  and  shall  be 
given  to  a  nation  bringing  forth  the  fruits  thereof." 
The  word  here  translated  "  nation  "  would  better  be 
rendered  *' people,"  since  it  refers  not  to  a  national 
group  but  to  an  ethnic  group.  And  Jesus  really  had 
to  create  a  new  type  of  man.  Paul  calls  it  "  a  new 
humanity"  in  Ephesians  2: 15. 

(4)  Peter  interprets  the  ideal  for  us  and  definitely 
applies  it  to  Christians  (see  i  Pet.  2:9-12).  "But 
ye  are  an  elect  race,  a  royal  priesthood,  a  holy  nation, 
a  people  for  God's  own  possession,  that  ye  may  show 
forth  the  excellencies  of  him  who  called  you  out  of , 


Biblical  History  Marks  It  33 

darkness  into  his  marvellous  light;  who  in  time  past 
were  no  people,  but  now  are  the  people  of  God:  who 
had  not  obtained  mercy,  but  now  have  obtained 
mercy.  Beloved,  I  beseech  you  as  sojourners  and 
pilgrims,  to  abstain  from  fleshly  lusts,  which  war 
against  the  soul ;  having  your  behaviour  seemly  among 
the  Gentiles  (here  meaning  non-Christians)  ;  that 
wherein  they  speak  against  you  as  evil-doers,  they 
may  by  your  good  works,  which  they  behold,  glorify 
God  in  the  day  of  visitation."  It  is  not  possible  to 
escape  the  obvious  fact  that  the  apostle  is  here  de- 
liberately parallelling  the  situation  in  Exodus  19  and 
applying  to  the  Christian  body  the  ideas,  ideals  and 
functions  formerly  connected  with  the  Hebrews. 

Is  it  not  easy  to  see  that  in  all  the  epochal  passages 
here  quoted  the  same  thought  dominates  and  persists  ? 
From  the  call  of  Abraham  to  the  founding  of  the 
Christian  Church  God  has  maintained  one  ideal  for 
His  people  and  placed  before  them  one  great  duty. 
He  will  reach  all  the  world  through  the  medium  of 
a  chosen  people  who  make  Him  known  to  the  other 
peoples.  The  churches  of  Jesus  Christ  are  the 
chosen  people  of  God,  His  witnesses,  created  and 
preserved  for  that  end. 


III.     Crises  in  Preserving  the  Idea. 

We  can  further  trace  this  missionary  idea  in  the 
Bible  history  by  considering  how  the  idea  was  ex- 
pressed and  preserved  at  important  epochs  and 
periods  of  the  history. 

I.    The  period  of  greatest  glory  for  Israel  was 


34         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

the  reign  of  Solomon.  The  kingdom  then  came  into 
its  greatest  territorial  extent,  its  population  was  most 
numerous,  its  commerce  most  extensive,  its  renown 
at  the  highest.  With  all  Solomon's  sins  and  defects 
he  was  not  an  ignoble  man  in  the  eyes  of  that  ancient 
world,  and  he  was  a  glorious  sovereign.  It  is  of  no 
light  significance  to  find  that  his  power  and  magnifi- 
cence, as  well  as  his  wisdom  and  ability,  were  defi- 
nitely associated  with  the  religion  of  his  God,  in  his 
own  profession  and  in  the  minds  of  men,  within  his 
own  kingdom  and  in  other  lands. 

His  most  notable  work  was  the  building  of  the 
magnificent  temple  and  the  establishment  of  its 
elaborate  and  impressive  sacrifices  and  ritual.  In 
this  way  his  piety,  superficial  as  it  may  have  been, 
made  its  impression  on  the  wide  range  of  foreign 
rulers  with  whom  he  had  established  connections, 
and  the  religion  of  Jehovah  came  to  be  very  widely 
known  by  the  peoples  with  whom  the  Hebrews  had 
friendly  dealings,  more  extensive  now  than  at  any 
other  time  in  the  fifteen  hundred  years  of  their 
national  life. 

In  the  building  of  the  temple  it  is  recorded  that 
Solomon  enlisted  the  friendly  support  of  Huram, 
King  of  Tyre,  and  engaged  in  the  work  of  getting 
materials  in  place  a  hundred  and  fifty-three  thousand 
six  hundred  of  Huram's  subjects.  In  the  negotia- 
tions between  the  two  kings  it  was  mutually  agreed 
that  Solomon's  God  was  above  all  gods  and  the 
maker  of  heaven  and  earth  (see  2  Chron.  2). 

When  the  Queen  of  Sheba  came  to  visit  Solomon 
it  was  because  she  had  "  heard  of  the  fame  of  Solo- 


Biblical  History  Marks  It  35 

mon  concerning  the  name  of  Jehovah."  And  she 
crowned  her  address  to  Solomon  with  the  declara- 
tion :  "  Blessed  be  Jehovah  thy  God,  who  delighted 
in  thee,  to  set  thee  on  the  throne  of  Israel :  because 
Jehovah  loved  Israel  forever,  therefore  made  he  thee 
king  to  do  justice  and  righteousness"  (see  i  Kings 
10:1-10).  After  all  allowance  has  been  made  for 
honorific  courtesies  between  Oriental  royalties  is  it 
not  still  of  definite  significance  that  this  Queen 
recognizes  that  Jehovah's  aim  is  "  justice  and  right- 
eousness "  ? 

Solomon  was  also  a  writer  and  a  promoter  of 
letters.  What  influence  may  we  suppose  his  literary 
labours  and  patronage  to  have  exerted  for  his  relig- 
ion among  Gentiles? 

2.  The  Captivity  of  Israel  was  used  by  Jehovah 
in  the  interest  of  His  plan  for  promoting  true  religion 
among  men.  In  a  national  religion  the  fate  of  the 
nation  and  the  power  of  the  god  are  wrapped  up 
together.  If  the  people  and  the  nation  flourish  the 
god  is  supposed  to  be  pleased  with  his  people  and 
able  to  prosper  them.  If  they  suffer  and  decline 
their  god  is  supposed  to  be  overmatched  by  the 
superior  power  of  the  god  of  the  people  who  prosper 
against  the  failing  nation.  Now,  from  the  first, 
Jehovah  had  not  consented  to  be  a  national  god.  He 
was  Lord  of  all.  All  the  earth  was  His.  He  was 
the  covenant  God  of  Israel,  having  entered  upon  a 
special  covenant  with  them,  with  a  view  to  His  being 
known  as  God  by  other  peoples.  A  persistent  tend-  | 
ency,  often  dominant  In  Israel,  was  to  regard  Je-  ' 
hovah  as  the  national  God,  and  to  expect  of  Him  ; 


36         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

protection,  preservation  and  patronage  against  the 
enemies  of  His  people.  In  the  decadent  days  of  the 
two  Hebrew  kingdoms  Jehovah  was  under  the  neces- 
sity of  maintaining  His  character  as  the  universal 
God  and  the  God  of  righteousness  against  the 
persistent  nationalizing  tendency  of  a  people  increas- 
ingly unethical,  immoral  and  unspiritual.  How 
could  Jehovah  be  true  to  His  holiness  and  at 
the  same  time  faithful  to  His  covenant  with  His 
chosen  people  and  with  their  great  founders  and 
leaders  ? 

It  was  a  very  serious  problem  in  religion.  No 
similar  triumph  in  religion  is  to  be  found  in  all  his- 
tory. Through  the  great  prophets  God  succeeded  in 
so  interpreting  the  decadence  and  captivity  of  the 
Hebrew  peoples  as  not  only  to  maintain  His  char- 
acter for  holiness  but  greatly  to  extend  the  prin- 
ciples of  righteousness  as  the  essence  of  religion.  It 
was  made  clear  to  many  in  Israel  and  Judah,  as  well 
as  to  many  in  other  lands,  that  the  downfall  of  His 
people  was  the  exaltation  of  Jehovah's  character  and 
that  this  downfall  was  made  necessary  by  that  very 
truth  and  faithfulness  which  lay  at  the  foundation  of 
the  religion  of  Abraham  and  Moses  and  David.  In 
this  failure  of  the  Hebrew  kingdoms  God  made  a 
great  forward  movement  in  the  very  mission  to 
which  He  had  called  the  Hebrews  and  which  they 
had  so  grievously  failed  to  fulfill.  So  far  from 
the  nations  reproaching  the  God  of  Israel,  as 
never  before  they  came  under  the  influence  of  His 
ideals. 

It  is  as  impossible  to  escape  the  fact  that  the  cap- 


Biblical  History  Marks  It  37 

live  Hebrews,  the  vast  majority  of  whom  never  re- 
turned to  Palestine,  carried  a  modifying  influence 
into  the  reHgions  of  Asia  as  it  is  impossible  to  trace 
that  influence  in  detail. 

Amos,  Isaiah,  and  Jeremiah,  preeminently, 
grasped  and  preached  the  universalism  and  the  right- 
eous rule  of  Jehovah  over  the  other  nations  as  well 
as  over  the  Hebrews. 

If  Ezekiel  was  a  prophet  of  hope  and  restoration 
to  his  own  people,  he  nevertheless  made  central  in  his 
preaching  individualism,  righteousness,  repentance 
and  spirituality,  qualities  in  religion  that  are  inevi- 
tably independent  of  the  limitations  of  race  and  place. 
So  he  promoted  the  ends  of  the  religion  of  the  one  ^ 

God.  ^  i'.T 

Was  not  Daniel  a  great  foreign  missionary  in  the  J 
most  distinct  sense?  Was  not  his  entire  work  as  a  '^ 
prophet,  so  far  as  our  accounts  of  him  go,  to  the 
courts  of  the  great  Gentile  world  rulers?  He  did 
not  preach  to  his  own  people  but  to  their  masters. 
And  what  wonderful  results  he  achieved!  He  pro- 
cured from  three  of  these  world  rulers  proclamations 
declaring  the  God  of  Daniel  to  be  the  Most  High 
God,  whose  kingdom  is  endless  and  whose  rulership 
extends  over  all.  To  the  courts  of  these  king-em- 
perors he  preached  the  power,  the  holiness  and  the 
universal  control  of  Jehovah.  And  it  was  partly,  at 
least,  by  his  influence  that  Cyrus  promoted  the  Res- 
toration. Has  any  missionary  in  all  history  more 
truly  grasped  the  purpose  of  God,  or  more  success- 
fully declared  the  message  of  God  ? 

3.     The  Restoration  and  the  period  of  Judaism 


r 


38         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

was  again  made  to  promote  the  ends  of  God  in  sev- 
eral ways.  The  ethical  standards  of  this  period  were 
the  highest  in  the  history,  in  the  general  life,  of  the 
people,  and  they  were  in  marked  contrast  with  the 
conduct  of  the  heathen  peoples  of  the  same  period. 
Idolatry,  in  the  literal  sense,  was  wholly  done  away 
with,  and  polytheism,  always  before  this  a  recurrent 
vice,  was  the  horror  and  the  abomination  of  the 
Jews.  Moreover,  their  subordinate  position,  for  most 
of  the  time  subject  to  other  powers,  turned  the 
minds  of  the  truly  religious  to  Messianic  thought 
and  hope.  While  their  speculations  developed  along 
erroneous  lines,  they  did  become  the  harbingers  of  a 
great  hope,  and  they  did  proclaim  constantly  the  uni- 
versal power  and  rulership  of  their  God.  That  they 
associated  God's  rule  over  men  with  their  own  na- 
tional pride  and  ambition,  looking  to  see  Jerusalem 
become  the  political  capital  of  the  world,  no  doubt 
greatly  hindered  their  spiritual  influence.  It  did  not 
obscure  wholly  the  central  idea  of  God's  purpose  to 
rule  the  world  in  righteousness  by  means  of  a  King 
whom  He  would  bring  into  the  world  by  His  special 
will  and  purpose. 

But  the  Restoration  brought  more  Jews  to  other 
parts  of  what  was,  or  came  to  be,  the  Roman  em- 
pire than  it  restored  to  Palestine.  Every  important 
center  from  Rome  eastward  had  its  Ghetto  and 
synagogues.  Some  centers  had  multitudes  of  Jews. 
In  Alexandria  two-fifths  of  the  city  was  Jewish. 
With  their  purified  faith,  their  exalted  hopes,  their 
spiritual  worship,  these  Jewish  colonies  became 
sources  of  unmeasured  influence.    They  did  but  a  \ 


Biblical  History  Marks  It  39 

small  part  of  what  was  possible  to  them.  They  did* 
prepare  the  way  for  the  missionaries  of  the  Christ 
when  they  should  come  later. 

Incident  to  this  colonizing  dispersion  of  Jews  came 
the  translation  of  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures  into 
Greek,  making  them  available  for  seekers  after  God 
wherever  that  language  was  known.  By  all  these  ^ 
means  through  this  last  four  hundred  years  of  He- 
brew history  before  Christ,  the  missionary  purpose 
of  God  was  getting  expression,  in  limited  measure, 
to  be  sure,  and  yet  in  a  way  very  far  from  being  in- 
effective. 

4.  The  rejection  of  Israel,  the  creation  of  a  new 
Israel  Then  came  the  day  of  "  the  fullness  of  the 
times."  "  God  having  of  old  time  spoken  unto  the 
fathers  in  the  prophets  by  divers  portions  and  in 
divers  manners,  at  the  end  of  the  days  spoke  unto 
men  in  a  Son,  whom  he  appointed  heir  of  all 
things,  through  whom  also  he  constructed  the  ages  " 
(see  Heb.  i:  1-4). 

He  who  through  all  generations  had  been  the  life 
and  the  light  of  men,  the  true  light  which  lighteth 
every  man  coming  into  the  world,  at  length  became 
flesh  and  dwelt  among  us,  full  of  grace  and  truth. 
He  had  all  along  been  in  the  world,  which  He  had 
made,  and  to  such  men  as  received  Him  He  had  been 
all  along  giving  authority  to  become  the  sons  of 
God  (see  John  i :  1-18).  Now  He  came  to  bring  life 
and  immortality  to  light  through  the  Gospel.  He 
came  to  inaugurate  a  permanent  campaign  of  ag- 
gressive spiritual  conquest  that  should  make  the  will 
of  His  Father  in  heaven  the  law  of  human  life 


4o         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

"  from  sea  to  sea "  and  "  from  the  river  unto  the 
ends  of  the  earth." 

Again,  as  at  the  time  of  the  Captivity,  the  Jews 
failed  God.  They  sought  then  to  take  God  and  use 
Him  to  effect  their  desires  for  a  worldly  kingdom 
and  material  greatness.  Now,  when  their  Christ 
came,  they  again  rejected  the  great  function  of  spir- 
itual leadership.  They  sought  to  take  the  Messiah 
and  make  of  Him  a  political  ruler.  They  desired  a 
Messiah  who  would  enable  them  to  dominate  the 
world.  He  desired  a  people  through  whom  He  could 
save  and  bless  the  world.  He  began  the  creation  of 
such  a  people.  That  creative  work  He  has  con- 
tinued through  all  the  centuries  since.  It  has  been 
a  slow,  difficult  work,  requiring  the  overcoming,  the 
remaking  of  human  nature.  In  the  course  of  it  the 
history  of  the  Church  has  often  presented  parallels  to 
Israel  in  blindness  and  unfaithfulness.  But  He  has 
continued  the  work.  He  continues  it  in  that  spiritual 
movement  through  which  He  breaks  down  all  walls 
that  separate  men  into  fragments  of  the  one  human 
race  and  that  form  barriers  to  the  expanding  grace 
of  God.  Paul  declares  that  "  if  any  single  man  is  in 
Christ  Jesus  "  we  have  therein  the  proof  that  there 
is  "  a  new  creation  " ;  that  God,  who  was  in  Christ 
Jesus  reconciling  the  world  unto  Himself,  is  through 
His  ambassadors  proclaiming  the  reconciliation,  and 
so  producing  a  new  humanity,  a  new  type  of  human 
being  through  whom  God  will  come  to  indwell  the 
race  of  men  (see  2  Cor.  5:17-20,  and  Eph. 
2:13-15)- 


Biblical  History  Marks  It  41 

Questions  for  Review  and  Reflection 
State  the  peculiar  nature  of  Biblical  history. 

What  is  the  idea  whose  history  makes  up  the  Bible 
story  ? 

Why  has  God  through  the  ages  had  a  "  chosen  peo- 
ple"? 

How  did  God  emphasize  the  purpose  of  the  call  of 
Abraham  ? 

What  was  the  first  message  to  the  Hebrews  at 
Sinai  ? 

What  was  its  significance? 

How  did  God  emphasize  this  idea  in  the  times  of 
Isaiah  ? 

How  does  the  New  Testament  deal  with  this  idea  ? 

How  did  the  prosperity  of  Israel  promote  God's 
ideal  ? 

How  did  God  save  and  extend  His  ideal  in  the 
downfall  of  the  Hebrew  kingdoms  ? 

How  did  the  Jews  promote  God's  plan  in  the  pe- 
riod of  the  Restoration? 

What  was  the  fundamental  failure  of  the  Jews 
with  reference  to  Jesus  as  their  Messiah? 

By  what  method  did  God  continue  His  idea  when 
the  Jews  rejected  the  Saviour? 


Ill 

HEBREW  WORSHIP  REVEALS  THE 

MISSIONARY  MESSAGE  OF 

THE  BIBLE 

I.  General  Facts  Concerning  Worship  that 
Imply  Missions. 

The  Bible  is  a  book  of  worship.  Not  only  has  it 
repeated  calls  to  worship,  it  is,  indeed,  a  continuous 
call  to  worship.  It  gives  endless  examples,  extensive 
directions  and  countless  reasons  for  worship. 

I.  Its  purpose  may  he  stated  as  to  bring  all  men 
to  worship  the  true  God  and  Saviour  of  men. 
\  The  God  of  the  Bible  is  such  that  men  cannot 
worship  Him  with  true  understanding  and  apprecia- 
tion without  longing  and  labouring  to  have  all  men 
worship  Him.  In  every  part  of  the  Bible  God  is  pre- 
sented as  the  only  God,  hence  the  God  of  all  men, 
deserving  and  desiring  the  worship  of  all  men,  and 
never  to  be  satisfied  until  all  shall  know  Him  from 
the  least  to  the  greatest;  until  the  earth  shall  be 
filled  with  His  glory  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea: 
"  His  resting  place,"  at  which  alone  He  will  cease 
His  work  with  sinful  men,  "  will  be  glorious  "  (Isa. 
ii:io).  Only  then,  when  His  full  glory  shall  fill 
the  earth,  can  He  pause  and  be  satisfied. 

42 


Hebrew  Worship  Reveals  It  43 

2.  God's  desire  for  the  worship  of  all. 

All  that  introductory  section  of  Genesis,  the  first 
eleven  chapters,  which  leads  up  to  the  opening  of 
the  story  of  Hebrew  beginnings  represents  God  as 
the  one,  only  God,  from  whom  all  men  go  away  in 
sin  until  God  is  "grieved  at  his  heart"  (6:6).  He 
desires  the  worship  of  all  men.  "  I  am  Jehovah,  that 
is  my  name ;  and  my  glory  will  I  not  give  to  another, 
neither  my  praise  unto  graven  images  "  (Isa.  42:  8). 
The  first  two  commandments  to  Israel  express  God's 
desire  and  His  call  to  all  men :  "  Thou  shalt  have  no 
other  gods  besides  me.  Thou  shalt  not  make  unto 
thee  any  graven  image,  nor  any  likeness "  (Ex. 
20:3-4). 

3.  Provision  for  common  worship  of  Hebrew  and 
stranger. 

(i)  For  the  Tabernacle  in  the  wilderness  it  was  al- 
ready provided  that  others  than  Hebrews  should  be 
welcome.  There  was  to  be  "  one  law  to  him  that  is 
home-born  and  to  the  stranger  that  sojourneth 
among  you"  (Ex.  12:29.  See  also  Deut.  10  :i9). 
One  of  the  curses  that  was  ordained  to  be  proclaimed 
by  the  Levites  on  Mount  Ebal,  while  the  blessings 
were  proclaimed  from  Gerizim,  was :  "  Cursed  be  he 
that  wresteth  the  justice  due  to  the  sojourner,  fa- 
therless and  widow"  (Deut.  27:19),  (2)  When 
Solomon  had  completed  his  magnifies  --  temple  for 
the  worship  of  Jehovah  and  came  to  dedicate  it  in 
his  remarkable  prayer  he  devoted  a  paragraph  to  the 
stranger :  "  Moreover  concerning  the  foreigner,  that 
is  not  of  thy  people  Israel  when  he  is  come  out  of 
a  far  country  for  thy  name's  sake  (for  they  shall 


44         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

hear  of  thy  great  name,  and  of  thy  mighty  hand,  and 
of  thine  outstretched  arm)  ;  when  he  shall  come  and 
pray  toward  this  house:  hear  thou  in  heaven,  thy 
dwelling  place,  and  do  according  to  all  that  the  for- 
eigner calleth  to  thee  for ;  that  all  the  peoples  of  the 
earth  may  know  thy  name,  to  fear  thee,  as  doth  thy 
people  Israel,  and  that  they  may  know  that  this 
house  which  I  have  built  is  called  by  thy  name" 
(i  Kings  8:  41-43.  See  2  Chron.  7:  32b).  Can  Solo- 
mon have  expected  that  this  temple  would  become  a 
worshipping  center  for  monotheists  the  world  over? 
Can  God  have  had  any  thought  short  of  the  whole 
world's  worshipping  Him  in  the  spirit  of  the  wor- 
ship of  this  temple?  How  extensive  would  be  the 
influence  of  such  a  temple  in  advertising  the  nature 
and  the  religion  of  the  God  for  whose  worship  it  was 
built?  H  the  life  and  the  religion  of  the  people  of 
Israel  had  corresponded  to  the  ideals  of  the  worship 
here  planned  and  to  the  ethical  standards  here  taught 
what  influence  would  have  been  exerted  on  the  re- 
ligious and  ethical  life  of  mankind? 

4.     Prediction  of  common  worship  of  God  by  all. 

( I )  Isaiah  56 :  6-8.  Was  the  Prophet  right  when  he 
interpreted  the  wish  and  plan  of  God  in  these  words? 
"  Also  the  foreigners  that  join  themselves  to  Jeho- 
vah, to  minister  unto  him,  and  to  love  the  name  of 
Jehovah,  to  be  his  servants,  every  one  that  keepeth 
the  sabbath  from  profaning  it,  and  holdeth  fast  my 
covenant;  even  them  will  I  bring  to  my  holy  moun- 
tain, and  make  them  joyful  in  my  house  of  prayer: 
their  burnt  offerings  and  their  sacrifices  shall  be  ac- 
cepted upon  mine  altar;  for  my  house  shall  be  a 


Hebrew  Worship  Reveals  It  45 

house  of  prayer  for  all  peoples.  The  Lord  Jehovah, 
who  gathereth  the  outcasts  of  Israel,  saith,  Yet  will 
I  gather  others  to  him  besides  his  own  that  are 
gathered."  Was  not  Jesus  exactly  in  line  with  this 
in  His  words  when  He  cleansed  the  temple  and 
quoted  this  passage  from  the  prophet?  Was  not  the 
temple  destroyed  in  the  end  because  by  its  perversion 
and  exclusiveness  it  had  come  to  stand  in  the  way 
of  universalizing  the  worship  of  God?  (2)  In 
Isaiah  66:  18-24,  Jehovah  is  represented  as  speaking 
in  a  day  of  deep  apostasy,  yet  with  assurance  fore- 
telling the  coming  time  when  "  I  will  gather  all  na- 
tions and  tongues :  and  they  shall  come,  and  shall  see 
my  glory."  This  will  be  accomplished  by  setting  a 
sign  among  them.  Such  as  see  and  heed  the  sign 
and  escape  from  their  ignorance,  sin  and  degrada- 
tion Jehovah  will  send  to  all  nations,  even  "  to  the 
isles  afar  off,  that  have  not  heard  my  fame,  neither 
have  seen  my  glory;  and  they  shall  declare  my 
glory  among  the  nations."  Their  success  shall  be 
such  that  from  all  nations  they  will  come  to  be 
**  brethren "  in  the  worship  of  Jehovah,  who  will 
take  of  these  from  all  nations  "  to  be  priests  and 
Levites."  This  is  the  Hebrew  way  of  saying  that 
race  distinction  and  class  distinction  will  be  borne  \ 
away  in  a  common  worship  of  mankind.  The  glori-  ' 
ous  outcome  will  be  that  from  "  one  new  moon  to 
another  (i.  e.  continuously),  and  from  one  sabbatL 
to  another,  shall  all  flesh  come  to  worship  before  me, 
saith  Jehovah."  Jehovah  keeps  before  Him  always 
this  "new  heaven  and  new  earth  which  he  will 
make,"  and  He  preserves  the  seed  and  the  name  of 


46         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

His  worshippers  while  this  great  consummation  is 
being  wrought  out  (see  verse  22),  God's  heart  will 
not  be  satisfied  until  all  shall  worship  Him. 

5.  Paul's  Interpretation. 

It  was  in  line  with  this  message  of  God  and  with 
His  plan  thus  revealed  that  Paul  thought  of  his  call- 
ing and  mission  as  "  the  grace  that  was  given  me  of  / 
God,  that  I  should  be  a  minister  of  Christ  Jesus  untoV 
the  nations,  ministering-as-a-priest  God's  glad  tid- 
ings, so  that  the  offerings  of  the  nations  might  be 
made  acceptable,  being  sanctified  by  the  Holy  Spirit'* 
(see  Rom.  15:  15-16).  Does  not  Paul  here  think  of 
God  witnessing  the  religious  sacrifices  and  ceremo- 
nies of  the  heathen,  offered  in  so  ignorant  a  way  as  to 
be  unacceptable  to  Him,  but  still  so  desiring  their 
worship  that  He  sends  such  as  Paul  to  carry  the 
good  news  of  God's  love  and  interest  and  to  instruct 
these  blind  worshippers  so  that  they  may  offer  true 
worship  to  God,  while  God's  Holy  Spirit  Himself  so 
works  in  this  enterprise  as  to  make  it  successful? 

6.  Worship  can  he  perfect  only  by  being  uni- 
versal 

The  whole  idea  of  worship  as  taught  in  the  Bible 
is  such  as  to  make  it  a  missionary  message  to  man- 
kind. Can  any  worship  God  with  highest  apprecia- 
tion and  acceptability  until  all  worship  Him?  Must 
not  those  who  recognize  the  glory  of  God,  who  love 
Him  and  come  to  Him  in  worship  and  in  prayer,  feel 
that  He  can  never  be  rightly  honoured  nor  fully 
worshipped  until  all  peoples  bow  before  Him  in  in- 
telligent and  adoring  praises  and  prayer?  When 
men  understand  the  God  whom  we  worship  and  His 


Hebrew  Worship  Reveals  It  47 

relation  to  the  world  we  shall  instinctively  and  in- 
evitably make  our  Lord's  Prayer  (Matt.  6:9!?.)  the 
petition  of  our  souls.  This  we  will  do  for  two  rea- 
sons: we  shall  feel  that  our  God  should  be,  and  of 
right  must  be,  reverenced  and  worshipped  by  all 
men;  and  we  shall  recognize  that  the  Father  of  all 
misses  the  presence  at  His  footstool  of  all  His  peo- 
ples who  have  not  learned  to  call  Him  "  Abba,  Fa- 
ther." We  shall,  when  the  Spirit  of  our  God  fills  our 
hearts,  miss  in  our  worship  any  of  the  children  of 
men  who  have  not  come  with  us  into  the  presence  of 
the  Father. 

II.  Missions  in  the  Psalms  in  Which  Men 
Worshipped. 

That  this  idea  entered  vitally  into  the  worship  of 
the  Hebrews  we  can  see  so  soon  as  we  study  the 
Psalms.  These  were  in  part  the  hymns  and  songs 
used  in  the  worship  of  the  temples — Solomon's  Tem- 
ple and  the  rebuilt  temple  of  Zerubbabel.  It  is  not 
now  possible  to  determine  in  some  cases  whether  a 
given  psalm  belonged  to  the  earlier  or  to  the  later 
time.  Many  we  can  locate  with  confidence.  The 
missionary  element  is  strong  in  both  groups. 

Again  some  psalms  that  were  no  part  of  the  ritual 
but  were  poems  of  family  worship  and  of  personal 
devotion  and  petition  manifest  the  same  desire  for 
the  universal  worship  of  Jehovah  and  call  upon  all 
men  to  share  His  goodness  and  His  praise,  and  pre- 
dict the  recognition  of  His  glorification  in  all  the 
world. 

I.    Psalm  LXVII  is  one  of  the  best  known  of 


48         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

these  psalms  of  temple  service.  It  is  arranged  for 
antiphonal  singing,  possibly  with  tenor,  bass  and  uni- 
son parts.  Study  it  carefully  under  the  arrange- 
ment here  given. 

First  voice,  or  group  of  voices — tenor : 

God  be  merciful  unto  us,  and  bless  us, 
And  cause  his  face  to  shine  upon  us; 

Second  voice,  or  group  of  voices — bass : 

That  thy  way  may  be  known  upon  the  earth, 
\ ;     Thy  salvation  among  all  nations. 

All  together : 

Let  the  peoples  praise  thee,  O  God; 
Let  all  the  peoples  praise  thee. 

Tenor : 

O,  let  the  nations  be  glad 
And  sing  for  joy; 

Bass: 

For  thou  wilt  judge  the  peoples  with  equity, 
And  lead  (Hebrew,  see  margin)  the  na- 
tions upon  earth. 

All: 

Let  the  peoples  praise  thee,  O  God ; 
Let  all  the  peoples  praise  thee. 

Tenor  and  bass : 

The  earth  hath  yielded  its  increase : 
God,  ever  our  own  God,  will  bless  us. 

All: 

God  will  bless  us ; 

And  all  the  ends  of  the  earth  shall  fear  him. 

Consider  thoughtfully  what  impression  must  have 


Hebrew  Worship  Reveals  It  49 

been  made  on  those  who  sang  these  words  and  those 
who  heard  them.  Notice  especially  the  plurals: 
"  peoples/'  "  nations  " ;  the  collective,  comprehensive 
terms,  "  upon  earth,"  "  ends  of  the  earth  " ;  the  re- 
current use  of  the  emphatic  "  all,"  "  among  all  na- 
tions," "  all  the  peoples,"  "  all  the  ends  of  the  earth." 

Especially  significant  is  the  main  idea  of  the  whole 
psalm,  namely,  that  God's  mercy  and  blessing  upon 
His  worshipping  people  have  for  their  objective  and 
result  that  "  all  the  ends  of  the  earth  shall  fear  him." 

2.  In  the  same  vein  is  Psalm  XCVI,  but  express- 
ing even  more  completely  the  missionary  message. 
It  begins  with  a  call  to  worship,  with  "  a  new  song  " : 

Oh  sing  unto  Jehovah  a  new  song : 
Sing  unto  Jehovah,  all  the  earth. 
Sing  unto  Jehovah,  bless  his  name. 
Show  forth  his  salvation  from  day  to  day. 

Next  we  have  a  summons  to  those  who  worship,  to 
proclaim  the  glory  of  their  God  among  all  peoples, 
because  He  alone  is  God  and  all  their  gods  are  mere 
vanities.  His  right  and  the  world's  need  inspire 
God's  worshippers  to  lead  all  men  to  acknowledge 
Him  in  grateful  praise: 

Declare  his  glory  among  the  nations, 

His  marvellous  works  among  all  the  peoples. 

For  great  is  Jehovah,  and  greatly  to  be  praised : 

He  is  to  be  feared  above  all  gods. 

For  all  the  gods  of  the  peoples  are  nothings, 

(see  margin) 
But  Jehovah  made  the  heavens. 
Honour  and  majesty  are  before  him  : 
Strength  and  beauty  are  in  his  sanctuary. 


50         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

Because  of  the  "  majesty,"  "  strength "  and 
"  beauty  "  of  Jehovah  "  all  the  earth  "  is  called  upon 
to  glorify  Him. 

Ascribe  unto  Jehovah,  ye  kindreds  of  the 

peoples, 
Ascribe  unto  Jehovah  glory  and  strength ; 
Ascribe  unto  Jehovah  the  glory  due  unto 

his  name : 
Bring  an  offering,  and  come  into  his  courts. 
Oh  worship  Jehovah  in  holy  array ; 
Tremble  before  him,  all  the  earth. 

Now  again  those  who  know  the  universal  sover- 
eignty of  God  are  called  upon  to  proclaim  Him  as  the 
judge  of  all  men : 

Say  among  the  nations,  Jehovah  reigneth: 
The  world  also  is  established  that  it  cannot 

be  moved : 
He  will  judge  the  peoples  with  equity. 

By  breaking  the  form  of  the  poetical  structure  at 
that  point  the  psalmist  calls  particular  attention  to 
the  fact  that  Jehovah  is  ruler,  sustainer  and  judge  of 
the  whole  earth.  He  then  proceeds  to  summon  the 
entire  world  to  joyful  acceptance  of  God's  righteous 
judgment  and  faithful  rule: 

Let  the  heavens  be  glad,  and  let  the  earth  rejoice ; 
Let  the  sea  roar,  and  the  fullness  thereof ; 
Let  the  field  exult,  and  all  that  is  therein ; 
Then  shall  all  the  trees  of  the  wood  sing  for  joy 
Before  Jehovah ;  for  he  cometh. 
For  he  cometh  to  judge  the  earth : 
He  will  judge  the  world  with  righteousness, 
And  the  peoples  in  his  faithfulness  (margin). 


Hebrew  Worship  Reveals  It  51 

Is  it  possible  to  suppose  that  this  psalm  could  be 
used  in  worship  without  stirring  the  expectation  that 
God  would  receive  universal  praise  among  men? 
Would  not  the  more  spiritual  and  thoughtful  wor- 
shippers have  an  impulse  actually  to  lead  other  peo- 
ples to  worship  their  glorious  God  ?  Would  they  not 
feel  that  God  could  never  be  satisfied,  or  rightly 
honoured  until  "  all  the  ends  of  the  earth  "  should 
"  magnify  his  holy  name"  ?  Whatever  the  thoughts 
of  Jewish  worshippers,  must  not  God  have  been  using 
the  psalmist  in  this  hymn  of  praise  to  give  a  mission- 
ary message  to  mankind? 

3.  The  Second  Psalm  has  a  structure  more 
familiar  to  those  accustomed  to  English  poetry. 
While  preserving  the  Hebrew  "parallelism,"  stating 
an  idea  in  two  forms,  or  two  closely  related  ideas  in 
similar  form,  it  also  falls  logically  into  four  stanzas 
of  about  equal  length.  And  here,  also,  our  English 
arrangement  corresponds  to  the  thought  develop- 
ment, three  "  verses  "  of  the  psalm  constituting  each 
stanza.  In  each  stanza  there  is  as  definite  idea  and 
the  viewpoint  changes  from  one  stanza  to  another. 
With  these  suggestions  let  us  proceed  to  the  read- 
ing, stanza  by  stanza.  The  psalmist  first  speaks,  pre- 
senting a  graphic  picture  of  insolent  rebellion  against 
Jehovah  and  especially  against  "his  anointed,"  the 
one  whom  He  desires  for  king,  and  who  would  es- 
tablish His  ideals  among  men : 

Why  do  the  nations  gather  in  raging  tumult, 
And  the  peoples  meditate  a  vain  thing? 
The  kings  of  the  earth  set  themselves. 
And  the  rulers  take  counsel  together, 


52         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

Against  Jehovah,  and  against  his  anointed, 

saying, 
Let  us  break  their  bonds  asunder, 
And  cast  away  their  cords  from  us. 

Looking  upon  such  a  scene — the  rulers  and  leaders 
of  men  in  insolent  revolt  against  the  holy  God,  the 
Creator  and  Master  of  the  universe — the  psalmist 
feels  a  great  sense  of  indignation  and  of  contempt  as 
he  thinks  of  the  futility  and  folly  of  such  rebellion. 
He  proceeds  to  express  this  feeling,  saying  how  he 
thinks  Jehovah  may  feel  about  it: 

He  that  sitteth  in  the  heavens  will  laugh : 
The  Lord  will  have  them  in  derision. 
Then  will  he  speak  unto  them  in  his  wrath, 
And  vex  them  in  his  sore  displeasure : 

But  in  the  midst  of  this  expression  by  the  poet  of 
what  seems  to  him  God's  attitude,  God  Himself 
checks  the  poet.  While  God  might  easily  take  this 
attitude,  if  He  were  thinking  only  of  His  own 
majesty  and  power  as  affronted  by  the  puny  oppo- 
sition of  ignorant  men,  when  His  holiness  and  love 
are  taken  account  of  He  cannot  be  indifferent  to 
these  men.  Their  world,  however  insignificant,  is 
His  world,  too.  Their  history  is  in  part  His  history. 
He  has  a  holy  purpose  and  plan  to  fulfill  in  men, 
even  in  these  rebellious  men.  So,  the  poet  is  not 
permitted  to  finish  the  stanza  in  the  strain  in  which 
he  set  it,  but  God  takes  it  from  him  and  in  the  last 
two  lines  expresses  His  deep,  true  feeling  and  pur- 
pose: 

Yet  have  I  set  my  king 

Upon  my  holy  hill  of  Zion. 


Hebrew  Worship  Reveals  It  53 

God  intends  to  establish  a  holy  order  in  the  world, 
among  men.  It  is  His  King  whom  men  shall  recog- 
nize and  serve.  Here  then,  in  the  third  stanza,  Je- 
hovah's King  becomes  the  speaker,  and  outlines  the 
divine  attitude  and  purpose : 

I  will  tell  of  the  decree : 

Jehovah  said  unto  me,  Thou  art  my  son ; 

This  day  have  I  begotten  thee. 

Ask  of  me,  and  I  will  give  thee  the  nations 
for  thine  inheritance, 

And  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  for 
thy  possession. 

Thou  shalt  break  them  with  a  rod  of  iron ; 

Thou  shalt  dash  them  in  pieces  like  a  pot- 
ter's vessel. 

In  view  of  God's  unfailing  purpose  to  establish 
His  anointed  King  upon  the  hill  of  holiness,  and  of 
God's  determination  to  use  necessary  force  to  des- 
troy obstinate  opposition  to  His  Son  and  His  rule, 
the  psalmist  now  speaks  again  in  the  final  stanza. 
His  whole  attitude  has  changed  with  the  new  view- 
point and  he  proclaims  an  invitation  to  all : 

Now  therefore  be  wise,  O  ye  kings : 
Be  instructed,  ye  judges  of  the  earth. 
Serve  Jehovah  with  fear, 
And  rejoice  with  trembling.  , 

Kiss  the  Son,  lest  he  be  angry,  and  ye     | 
perish  in  the  way,  ^ 

For  his  wrath  will  soon  be  kindled. 
Blessed  are  all  they  that  take  refuge  in  him. 

Thus  does  God  provide  in  His  Son  a  refuge  for  His 


54         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

raging  enemies  of  the  heathen  nations  and  invite  them 
to  come  with  reverent  joy  into  His  holy  kingdom. 

4.  Psalm  XLVII  is  more  from  the  Jewish  stand- 
point, and  perhaps  the  writer  thought  of  all  other 
peoples  as  subject  to  the  Jews  as  God's  people  chosen 
to  represent  Him  in  ruling  the  world.  But  even  so, 
the  psalmist  was  looking  beyond  Israel  to  the  ends 
of  the  earth  as  the  range  of  Jehovah's  blessing  upon 
mankind.  And  as  God's  spokesman  he  was  deliver- 
ing a  message  of  grace  to  all  peoples : 

O  clap  your  hands,  all  ye  peoples ; 

Shout  unto  God  with  the  voice  of  triumph, 

For  Jehovah  Most  High  is  terrible: 

He  is  a  great  king  over  all  the  earth. 

He  subdueth  peoples  under  us, 

And  nations  under  our  feet. 

He  chooseth  our  inheritance  for  us, 

The  glory  of  Jacob  whom  he  loved. 

God  is  gone  up  with  a  shout, 

Jehovah  with  the  sound  of  a  trumpet. 

Sing  praises  to  God,  sing  praises : 

Sing  praises  unto  our  King,  sing  praises. 

For  God  is  the  King  of  all  the  earth : 

Sing  ye  praises  with  understanding. 

God  reigneth  over  the  nations : 

God  sitteth  upon  his  holy  throne. 

The  princes  of  the  peoples  are  gathered  together 

To  be  the  people  of  the  God  of  Abraham ; 

For  the  shields  of  the  earth  belong  unto  God: 

He  is  greatly  exalted. 

5.  Psalm  XXII  is  more  quoted  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment than  any  other.  It  gives  the  most  graphic  and 
detailed  account  of  sacrificial  suffering  by  the  Serv- 


Hebrew  Worship  Reveals  It  55 

ant  of  Jehovah  of  any  passage  in  the  Old  Testament. 
While  not  more  dramatic  in  description  it  is  more 
detailed  than  even  the  fifty-third  chapter  of  Isaiah. 
It  was  from  this  psalm  that  Jesus  was  quoting  in  His 
great  cry  of  anguish  on  the  cross.  Twenty-one 
verses  portray  the  sufferings  and  insults  which  are 
endured  while  the  sufferer  cries  to  God.  Then  four 
verses  contain  the  testimony  of  this  Servant  to  the 
faithfulness  of  His  God.  Finally  six  verses  give  Je- 
hovah's assurance  to  the  Servant  of  the  value  of  His 
suffering  and  service;  His  work  shall  succeed: 


The  meek  shall  eat  and  be  satisfied ; 

They  shall  praise  Jehovah  that  seek  after 

him: 
Let  your  heart  live  forever. 
All  the  ends  of  the  earth  shall  remember 
And  turn  unto  Jehovah ; 
And  all  the  kindreds  of  the  nations 
Shall  worship  before  thee. 
For  the  kingdom  is  Jehovah's ; 
And  he  is  the  ruler  over  the  nations. 


All  the  fat  ones  of  the  earth  shall  eat  and 

worship : 
All  they  that  go  down  into  the  dust  shall 

bow  before  him, 
Even  he  that  cannot  keep  his  soul  alive. 
A  seed  shall  serve  him ; 
It  shall  be  counted  unto  the  Lord  as  his 

race.     (Cf.  margin.) 
They    shall    come    and    shall    declare    his 

righteousness 
Unto  a  people  that  shall  be  born,  that  he 

hath  done  it. 


56         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

6.  Other  Psalms;  a  common  principle. 

The  psalms  selected  are  those  which  most  fully 
and  clearly  express  God's  will  and  purpose  that  all 
men  shall  know  and  worship  and  serve  Him.  They 
most  distinctly  invite  all  peoples  to  this  worship  and 
service ;  and  most  directly  call  upon  such  as  do  wor- 
ship Him  to  declare  His  glory  and  His  saving  power 
to  all  others.  But  very  many  others  have  the  same 
ideas,  less  prominently  set  forth  but  entering  as  a 
distinct  feature.  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  the 
Hebrews  did  not  more  often  and  more  clearly  grasp 
the  equality  of  all  peoples  in  the  love  and  favour  and 
plan  of  God.  When  we  take  account  of  the  narrow 
nationalism  of  the  ancient  times,  the  race  hatreds 
and  antagonisms;  the  wonder  is  that  these  elements 
of  universalism  played  so  large  a  part  in  the  ritual 
and  the  common  worship  of  the  people. 

So  far  from  wondering  that  Israel  and  the  Jews 
so  often  dwelt  upon  the  hope  of  their  own  exaltation 
and  the  subordination  of  other  peoples  to  them,  we 
must  the  rather  see  the  revelation  and  inspiration  of 
God  in  causing  them  so  often  to  overleap  these  limit- 
ing barriers  and  catch  the  vision  of  one  holy  God 
ruling  all  and  receiving  the  praises  of  all  on  terms 
of  a  common  relation  to  God. 

7.  Solomon's  Psalm.  To  close  our  studies  in  the 
Psalms  let  us  look  at  certain  parts  of  Psalm  LXXII. 
It  is  entitled  "The  Reign  of  the  Righteous  King," 
and  an  ancient  inscription  designates  it  "A  Psalm 
of  Solomon."  There  are  those  who  take  it  to  be  a 
prayer  by  Solomon^  and  a  description  of  his  reign. 
Others  attribute  it  rather  to  David  and  account  it  a 


Hebrew  Worship  Reveals  It  57 

prayer  for,  and  prediction  concerning,  Solomon. 
Others  treat  it  less  seriously  still.  But  when  all  al- 
lowance has  been  made  for  the  hyperbole  and  hon- 
orific in  which  Orientals  of  all  ages  indulge  so 
freely,  it  still  seems  impossible  solely  to  seek  to  limit 
its  application  to  any  one  human  king,  or  to  any  one 
human  kingdom.  Besides,  its  concern  for  righteous- 
ness, mercy  and  truth  takes  us  quite  out  of  the  at- 
mosphere of  mere  temporal  glory  or  mere  human 
greatness. 

It  is  because  of  this  King^s  "righteousness," 
"justice,"  and  "peace,"  because  of  His  considera- 
tion for  the  "  poor  of  the  people  "  and  "  the  children 
of  the  needy,"  because. 

In  his  days  shall  the  righteous  flourish, 

And  abundance  of  peace,  till  the  moon  be  no  more. 

that 

He  shall  have  dominion  also  from  sea  to  sea, 
And  from  the  river  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth. 

His  reign  is  marked  by  deliverance  for  the  needy, 
pity  for  the  poor,  redemption  for  the  oppressed  and 
concern  for  the  blood  of  the  slain. 

And  men  shall  pray  for  him  continually ; 
They  shall  bless  him  all  the  day  long. 

******* 

His  name  shall  endure  forever; 

His  name  shall  be  continued  as  long  as  the  sun: 

And  men  shall  be  blessed  in  him ; 

All  nations  shall  call  him  happy. 

The  psalmist,  therefore,  closes  with  this  universal 
call: 


58         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

Blessed  be  Jehovah  God,  the  God  of  Israel, 
Who  only  doeth  wondrous  things: 
And  blessed  be  his  glorious  name  forever  ; 
And  let  the  whole  earth  be  filled  with  his  glory. 
Amen,  and  Amen. 

III.  The  Same  Element  in  Other  Literature 
OF  Worship. 

Nor  is  it  in  the  Psalms  alone  that  the  expressions 
of  Hebrew  worship  show  God's  missionary  message. 
It  would  be  possible  for  us  to  study  an  indefinite 
number  of  illustrations  of  this  message  from  wor- 
shipful sections  of  the  Prophets.  These  must  be 
omitted  from  the  present  study.  In  their  visions  the 
interpretation  of  their  God  was  such  as  that  which 
came  to  Isaiah  when  in  the  temple  he  "  saw  the  Lord 
sitting  upon  a  throne,  high  and  lifted  up;  and  his 
train  filled  the  temple.  Above  him  stood  the  sera- 
phim: each  one  had  six  wings;  with  twain  he  cov- 
ered his  face,  and  with  twain  he  covered  his  feet, 
and  with  twain  he  did  fly.  And  one  cried  unto  an- 
other, and  said.  Holy,  holy,  holy,  is  Jehovah  of  hosts, 
the  fullness  of  the  whole  earth  is  his  glory" 
(6:1-3). 


Questions  for  Review  and  Reflection 

What  in  the  Bible  shows  God's  interest  in  all  men 
prior  to  the  founding  of  the  Hebrew  nation  ? 

What  indications  are  there  in  the  worship  of  the 
Tabernacle  and  in  the  dedication  of  the  Temple  of  a 
spirit  of  universalism  in  the  worship  of  Jehovah? 

What  use  is  made  in  the  Scriptures  of  the  idea- 


Hebrew  Worship  Reveals  It  59 

that  God's  house  shall  be  a  house  of  prayer  for  all 
nations  ? 

How  do  the  Scriptures  suggest  that  all  are  to  be 
brought  to  the  acceptable  worship  of  Jehovah  ? 

Why  can  there  be  no  perfect  worship  until  all 
men  worship? 

What  psalms  especially  teach  the  universal  wor- 
ship of  the  one,  true  God  ? 

How  were  these  psalms  used  in  worship  ? 

What  is  the  significance  of  this  spirit  of  univer- 
salism  in  Hebrew  poetry  of  worship? 

What  aspects  of  missions  are  clearly  seen  in  these 
psalms  ? 


IV 

PROPHECY  PROVES  THE  BIBLE  GOD'S 
MISSIONARY  MESSAGE 

What  is  prophecy  ?  It  is  prediction  ?  This  is  one 
of  the  most  persistent  errors  in  common  thought.  It 
seems  almost  impossible  to  correct  the  common  no- 
tion that  to  prophesy  is  to  foretell  future  events.  A 
prophet  does  sometimes  predict  events  in  the  future. 
Usually  he  does  not.  A  prophet  is  one  who  speaks 
by  direct  inspiration  and  interprets  the  presence  and 
thev/ill  of  God  in  the  course  of  events.  Usually  he 
is  a  preacher  of  righteousness,  usually  also  a  re- 
former. In  defining  the  v^ays  of  God  and  the  will 
of  God  the  prophet  shows  the  course  of  history  in  its 
deeper  principles  and  forces.  Thus  he  has  occasion 
to  tell  what  will  be  the  outcome  of  courses  now  being 
pursued  by  men  or  directed  by  God.  If  men  give 
heed  to  him  they  avert  evils  predicted  and  help  to 
accomplish  the  good  that  is  promised.  In  interpret- 
ing the  ways  of  God  it  may  be  given  to  the  prophet 
to  announce  beforehand,  even  long  beforehand,  some 
person  or  event  to  be  used  of  God  in  promoting  His 
work  and  ordering  His  kingdom.  Such  being  the 
function  of  the  prophet  it  is  to  prophecy  that  we 
turn  expecting  to  find  God's  fullest  message  and  the 

60 


Prophecy  Proves  It  6l 

clearest  indication  of  His  nature,  His  will  and  His 
plans  concerning  men  and  the  kingdom  of  God. 

I.    Missions  in  the  Call  of  the  Prophets. 

If  we  study  some  examples  of  the  call  of  prophets 
to  their  work  we  shall  find  them  suggesting  the  mis- 
sionary attitude  of  God  toward  the  human  race.  Be- 
sides the  specific  record  of  their  call  we  may  take 
account  also  of  the  scope  of  their  actual  ministry. 
We  ask,  then :  To  whom  does  the  prophet  understand 
his  message  to  be  sent?  What  is  God's  interest  in 
the  peoples  to  whom  He  sends  the  message  ? 

I.  Jonah's  Mission  to  Nineveh  has  in  it  elements 
that  mark  it  as  especially  fit  to  teach  God's  attitude. 

Consider  the  situation  when  Israel  was  under  "  af- 
fliction that  was  very  bitter  "  (2  Kings  14:  26),  when 
Assyria  was  in  the  ascendant  as  the  great  world '^ 
power  and  already  threatening  to  sweep  westward 
and  absorb  the  smaller  kingdoms.  Fear  and  bitter- 
ness would  be  natural  feelings  of  an  Israelite.  Jonah 
is  sent  at  such  a  time  to  strengthen  the  heart  and 
encourage  the  plans  of  the  king  whereby  new  power 
and  prosperity  came  under  the  reign  of  Jeroboam. 
Thus  was  the  border  of  Israel  restored  "  from  the 
entrance  of  Hamath  unto  the  sea  of  the  Arabah,  ac- 
cording to  the  word  of  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel, 
which  he  spake  by  his  servant,  Jonah  the  son  of 
Amittai,  the  prophet,  who  was  of  Gath-hepher." 
Would  this  success  tend  to  promote  pride  along  with 
the  fear  and  the  bitterness  toward  Nineveh?  What 
would  narrow  national  pride  and  prejudice  suggest 
to  Hebrews  as  the  attitude  of  their  God  toward  their 


62         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

most  dangerous  enemy,  especially  in  that  age  of  the 
world  when  there  was  such  a  powerful  tendency  to 
think  of  gods  as  national  and  as  localized  in  their 
people?  What,  then,  is  the  teaching  concerning  God 
that  is  involved  in  His  commanding  Jonah  to  go  to 
Nineveh  and  preach  against  the  sins  of  "  that  great 
city"?  Jehovah  assumes  the  responsibility  of  these 
heathen,  of  a  race  alien  to  the  prophet.  He  is  in- 
terested in  them.  He  will  warn  them,  and  when 
j  they  repent  He  will  save  them.  The  rebuke  to  the 
/  narrowness  and  exclusiveness  of  the  Hebrews,  the 
•=  revelation  of  God's  universalism  and  of  His  concern 
for  moral  conduct.  His  determination  to  send  His 
message  to  sinning  men,  all  these  lessons  stand  out  in 
this  remarkable  episode.  Are  these  lessons  at  all 
involved  in  the  questions  of  the  date  and  literary 
character  of  the  book  ? 

2.  We  have  already  studied  the  remarkable  mis- 
sionary career  of  Daniel.  Can  there  be  any  question 
of  God's  thus  revealing  Himself  as  seekin<j  after  all 
men?  Is  not  such  a  God  as  "the  God  of  Daniel" 
necessarily  the  God  of  all  men,  and  a  missionary 
God,  one  who  will  inevitably  seek  the  redemption  of 
all  men?  The  "  burden  "  of  the  whole  book  of  Dan- 
iel is  that  Jehovah  God  is  the  righteous  Judge  of  all 
the  earth  and  will  so  control,  lift  up,  and  cast  down 
the  nations  of  men  as  to  promote  the  ends,  not  of 
might,  but  of  righteousness,  until  He  shall  rule  the 
whole  earth.  All  moves  on  to  the  time  when  'the 
Ancient  of  Days  shall  come,  and  judgment  be  given 
unto  the  saints  of  the  Most  High,  and  the  time  when 
the  saints  possess  the  kingdom*  (see  7:22). 


Prophecy  Proves  It  63 

3.  Jeremiah  in  various  statements  declares  that 
his  prophetic  call  was  **  to  the  nations."  ( i )  Of  his 
original  call  we  read :  "  Now  the  word  of  Jehovah 
came  unto  me,  saying  ...  I  have  appointed 
thee  a  prophet  unto  the  nations.  ...  To  whom- 
soever I  shall  send  thee  thou  shalt  go.  .  .  . 
Behold  I  have  put  my  words  in  thy  mouth;  see,  I 
have  this  day  set  thee  over  the  nations  and  over  the 
kingdoms,  to  pluck  up  and  to  break  down,  and  to 
destroy  and  to  overthrow,  to  build  and  to  plant" 
(see  1:3-10).  (2)  A  considerable  section  of  his 
prophecies  is  devoted  to  judgments  upon  the  na- 
tions for  their  sins,  Judah  and  Israel  being  treated 
exactly  as  the  rest.  For  this  special  line  of  messages 
there  came  a  special  call  (see  25 :  15-38)  :  "  For  thus 
saith  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel,  unto  me :  Take  this 
cup  of  the  wine  of  the  wrath  at  my  hand,  and  cause 
all  the  nations,  to  whom  I  send  thee,  to  drink  it." 
There  is,  first,  a  message  of  punishment  for  sins  and 
of  captivity  because  of  idolatry  and  national  iniquity. 
Then,  to  the  other  nations,  even  as  to  Israel  and 
Judah,  there  is  the  assurance:  "Afterward  I  will 
bring  back  the  captivity  of  Moab,"  "  of  the  children 
of  Ammon,"  etc.  (see  48:47;  49:6,  39,  etc.).  Al- 
ready in  the  earlier  message  Jehovah  had  laid  down 
the  principle  and  purpose  that  as  "  his  evil  neigh- 
bours "  learned  His  religion  they  should  be  "  built  up 
in  the  midst  of  Jehovah's  people"  (see  12:  14-17). 
(3)  The  principle  is  that  God  is  claiming  and  seeking 
all  the  peoples  and  sends  His  message  to  them  all 
through  His  specially  favoured  people. 

4.  In  the  case  of  Isaiah,  while  no  specific  call  to 


64         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

the  nations  in  general  is  recorded,  (i)  we  find  the 
spirit  of  universalism  dominating  nearly  all  his  mes- 
sages, and  a  block  of  some  thirteen  chapters  deals 
with  the  "  burdens  "  of  the  nations,  both  in  a  group 
and  in  separate  prophecies  concerning  each  nation 
(see  chaps.  13-25). 

(2)  It  is  interesting  to  notice  that  in  the  ar- 
rangement of  the  prophecies  that  which  immediately 
precedes  this  section  dealing  with  the  nations  is  a 
promise  of  a  day  of  praise  (chap.  12)  in  which 
Jehovah's  people  are  to  say :  **  Give  thanks  unto  Je- 
hovah, proclaim  his  name  (margin),  declare  his 
doings  among  the  peoples,  make  mention  that  his 
name  is  exalted.  Sing  unto  Jehovah;  for  he  hath 
done  excellent  things:  let  this  be  known  in  all  the 
earth.  Cry  aloud  and  shout  thou  inhabitant  of 
Zion ;  for  great  in  the  midst  of  thee  is  the  Holy  One 
of  Israel." 

(3)  Then,  after  all  the  messages  of  judgment 
upon  the  nations  for  their  sins,  the  great  objective  of 
Jehovah  is  set  forth  (chap.  25)  :  "And  in  this  moun- 
tain will  Jehovah  of  hosts  make  unto  all  peoples  a 
feast  of  fat  things.  .  .  .  And  he  will  finally 
destroy  in  this  mountain  the  face  of  the  covering 
that  covereth  all  peoples,  and  the  veil  that  is  spread 
over  all  nations.  He  hath  swallowed  up  death  for- 
ever; and  the  Lord  Jehovah  will  wipe  away  tears 
from  off  all  faces;  and  the  reproach  of  his  people 
will  he  take  away  from  off  all  the  earth:  for  Jeho- 
vah hath  spoken  It." 

(4)  In  the  midst  of  this  section  of  Judgments 
upon  the  nations  (chap.  19:23-25),  it  is  announced 


Prophecy  Proves  It  65 

that  a  Hay  is  coming  when  the  two  great,  rival  world 
kingdoms  of  the  day,  Egypt  and  Assyria,  will  freely 
mingle  in  peace  and  shall  worship  together.  "  In 
that  day  shall  Israel  be  the  third  with  Egypt  and  with 
Assyria,  a  blessing  in  the  midst  of  the  earth ;  for  that 
Jehovah  of  hosts  hath  blessed  them,  saying,  Blessed 
be  Egypt  my  people,  and  Assyria  the  work  of  my 
hands,  and  Israel  mine  inheritance." 

Recalling  again,  now,  the  national  hatreds  and  en- 
mities, and  having  in  mind  that  both  Egypt  and  As- 
syria menaced  the  existence  of  Israel  in  that  day,  is 
it  possible  to  think  how  Jehovah  could  have  declared 
more  unmistakably  His  interest  in  all  men,  or  more 
distinctly  have  spoken  a  missionary  message  in  such 
a  period  and  at  that  stage  of  the  religious  and  social 
development  of  mankind? 

5.    Conclusions  from  these  calls  of  prophets. 

Is  it  not  evident  that  Israel  existed  in  Jeho- 
vah's plan,  as  a  prophetic  people,  as  a  witness  of 
the  true  and  living  God  "  in  the  midst  of  the 
earth"? 

It  was  with  true  spiritual  insight  that  the  writer  of 
the  CV  psalm  rej)resented  Jehovah  as  protecting 
the  patriarchs  as  they 

"Went  about  from  nation  to  nation, 
From  one  kingdom  to  another  people. 
He  suffered  no  man  to  do  them  wrong; 
Yea,  he  reproved  kings  for  their  sakes. 
Saying,  Touch  not  mine  anointed  ones, 
And  do  my  prophets  no  harm"  (verses  13-15)* 

For  it  was  that  they  might  be  prophets  that  they 


66         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

were  raised  up  among  men  with  their  new  and  revo- 
lutionizing ideas  of  God  and  of  religion. 

II.  The  Religion  of  the  Prophets  was  Es- 
sentially A  Universal  Religion. 

They  proclaim  one  God,  supreme  over  all.  He  is 
spiritual  and  ethical  both  in  His  own  character  and  in 
His  relations  to  His  worshippers.  His  demands  upon 
men  are  ethical  and  moral;  He  calls  for  righteous- 
ness and  justice,  humility  and  mercy.  His  holiness 
is  such  that  He  cannot  endure  sin.  He  will  punish 
sin,  if  need  be,  even  to  the  destruction  of  His  own 
chosen  people.  In  the  essential  teachings,  in  the 
tone  and  temper  and  in  the  ideals  of  religion  of  the 
prophets  there  is  nothing  peculiarly  national,  or  sec- 
tional. It  is  a  religion  that  belongs  to  man  as  man 
and  binds  to  the  supreme  God  in  bonds  of  truth, 
holiness  and  affection.  Such  a  religion  is  essentially 
and  inevitably  universal  in  its  application  and  in  its 
appeal.  The  prophets  are  the  great  teachers  and 
promoters  of  religion.  They  "  speak- for "  God. 
The  prophets  must,  to  be  understood,  be  regarded  as 
missionary  messengers  of  the  Almighty. 

III.  Examples  of  the  Missionary  Teaching 
IN  THE  Prophets. 

It  would  be  possible,  but  for  making  this  study  too 
full,  to  show  this  universal,  and  missionary,  feature 
in  the  teaching  of  all  the  prophets.  In  selecting 
some  examples  we  may  well  begin  with  some  that 
are  especially  so  interpreted  for  us  in  the  New  Tes- 
tament. We  omit  for  the  present  Jesus'  use  of  the 
prophets. 


Prophecy  Proves  It  67 

1.  The  first  Gospel  sermon  on  Pentecost  began 
with  a  prophecy  from  Joel  (2:28-^2.  Cf.  Acts 
2: 17-21). 

All  classes  shall  be  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirh  and 
thus  called  and  empowered  to  speak  the  word  of 
God :  "  It  shall  come  to  pass  afterward,  that  I  will 
pour  out  my  Spirit  upon  all  flesh ;  and  your  sons  and 
your  daughters  shall  prophesy,  your  old  men  shall 
dream  dreams,  your  young  men  shall  see  visions: 
and  also  upon  the  servants  and  upon  the  handmaids 
(slaves  of  both  genders)  in  those  days  will  I  pour 
out  my  Spirit." 

Manifestations  of  supernatural  power  will  attend 
these  Spirit-filled  prophets  of  the  Lord :  "  And  I  will 
show  wonders  in  the  heavens  and  in  the  earth ;  blood, 
and  fire,  and  pillars  of  smoke.  The  sun  shall  be 
turned  into  darkness,  and  the  moon  into  blood,  be- 
fore the  great  and  terrible  day  of  Jehovah  cometh." 

In  the  day  of  this  general  testimony  of  the  mani- 
festation of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  of  the  working  of 
God  "  it  shall  come  to  pass  that  whosoever  shall  call 
on  the  name  of  Jehovah  shall  be  saved."  The  offer 
of  salvation  shall  be  universal. 

2.  Amos  used  by  James. 

When  the  heathen  had  begun  to  receive  the  Gospel 
in  large  numbers  and  the  missionary  work  had  form- 
ally begun,  it  became  necessary  to  settle  the  question 
whether  Gentiles  might  have  the  right,  without  ac- 
cepting Judaism  as  well,  to  become  Christians.  In 
reaching  an  agreement  in  this  vitally  important  mat- 
ter at  Jerusalem,  Peter  told  of  his  experience  with 
Cornelius  and  his   friends  and  of  what   could  be 


68         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

learned  from  this  incident.  Next  Barnabas  and 
Paul,  the  two  great  missionaries,  told  "  what  signs 
and  wonders  God  had  wrought  among  the  Gentiles 
through  them,"  thus  manifesting  His  approval  of 
their  work  and  its  converts.  Then  James,  the  leader 
of  the  Jerusalem  church,  brought  forward  a  passage 
from  Amos  (9:1  if.)  to  show  that  God's  plan  all 
along  contemplated  the  saving  of  Gentiles,  of  men 
regardless  of  race.    The  passage  reads : 

"  After  these  things  I  will  return. 
And  I  will  build  again  the  tabernacle  of 

David,  which  is  fallen; 
And  I  will  build  again  the  ruins  thereof. 
And  I  will  set  it  up : 
That  the  residue  of  men  may  seek  after  the 

Lord, 
And  all  the  Gentiles  upon  whom  my  name  is 

called, 
Saith  the  Lord  who  doeth  this  which  was 

known  from  of  old."     (See  margin.) 

Amos  had  begun  his  prophetic  career  with  a  series 
of  bold  messages  to  (or  concerning)  all  the  nations 
at  the  time  in  and  adjacent  to  Palestine.  He  repre- 
sented Jehovah  as  in  command  of  all  alike  and  about 
to  punish  all  alike  "  for  three  transgressions,  yea,  for 
four."  All  the  sins  denounced  are  moral,  social  and 
spiritual.  All  peoples  are  on  just  the  same  footing 
before  Jehovah.  If  Israel  sins  she  will  be  treated  like 
others:  "Are  ye  not  as  the  children  of  the  Ethio- 
pians unto  me,  O  children  of  Israel?  saith  Jehovah. 
Have  not  I  brought  up  Israel  out  of  the  land  of 


Prophecy  Proves  It  69 

Egypt  and  the  Philistines  from  Caphtor,   and  the 
Syrians  from  Kir  ?  " 

If  Jehovah  had  guided  and  located  the  Philistines,  \ 
Israel's  ancient  enemies ;  and  the  Syrians,  the  danger-  \ 
ous  enemies  of  Israel  at  the  very  moment  Amos  was  ^ 
preaching,  then  surely  all  peoples  are  under  His  con- 
trol.    And  if  He  will  not  tolerate  Israel  as  "  a  sinful 
kingdom,"  then  surely  He  is  the  God  of  holiness.    It 
is  immediately  following  this  threat  of  dire  punish- 
ment of  Israel  that  the  promise  comes  of  restoration. 
But  in  the  day  of  restoration  the  invitation  to  be 
saved  shall  be  made  universal,  even  as  it  has  been 
planned  "  from  of  old."    James,  in  the  apostolic  con- 
ference, announced  that  in  the  missionary  gospel  as 
preached  by  Barnabas  and  Paul  this  ancient  word  of 
God  was  finding  fulfillment. 

3.  Paul  also  in  his  time  thinks  of  the  prophets  as 
having  a  missionary  message  from  God. 

Repeatedly  he  places  these  teachings  imderneath 
his  own  plans  and  practices  as  a  sure  foundation. 
Explaining  God's  plan  with  Jews  and  Gentiles  he 
claims  that  the  Christians,  who  in  Paul's  time  God 
had  "  called,  not  from  the  Jews  only,  but  also  from 
the  Gentiles"  were  "vessels  of  mercy  which  he 
afore  prepared  unto  glory,"  "that  he  might  make 
known  the  riches  of  his  glory."  In  this  new  order 
of  men  in  the  Christian  Church,  made  up  of  those  re- 
deemed from  different  national  and  religious  groups, 
God  was  carrying  to  the  world  the  knowledge  of 
Himself.  Thus  were  they  "  vessels  of  glory."  And 
this  is  "  as  he  saith  also  in  Hosea : 


yo         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

I  will  call  that  my  people,  which  was  not  my; 

people ; 
And  her  beloved,  that  was  not  beloved. 
And  it  shall  be  that  in  the  place  where  it  was 

said  unto  them,  Ye  are  not  my  people, 
There  shall  they  be  called  sons  of  the  living 

God." 

(Rom.  9 :  23-26,  quoting  Hos.  2 :  23,  i :  10.) 

God's  attitude  was  the  same  in  Hosea's  day  that  it 
was  in  Paul's  day,  was  the  same  before  Christ  that  it 
is  now,  after  Christ.  The  difference  is  that  then 
God  was  able  to  make  known  to  a  few  His  attitude 
and  plan  and  for  the  most  part  they  waited  for  God 
to  carry  out  His  own  plans  by  His  supernatural 
power,  whereas  now  His  Christian  servants  are  ex- 
pected to  read  His  plans  and  proceed,  in  the  power 
of  His  Spirit,  to  carry  them  out.  We  must  now  be 
the  "vessels  of  his  mercy,"  carrying  it  to  all  men. 
In  this  way  Paul  finds  that  another  prophecy,  Isaiah 
65 : 1,  gets  its  fulfillment :  "  I  was  found  of  them 
that  sought  me  not ;  I  became  manifest  to  them  that 
asked  not  after  me."  Paul  tells  us  again  that  he  set 
himself,  "  made  it  his  ambition,"  to  fulfill  God's  plan 
as  announced  in  Isaiah  52:  15 : 

"  They  shall  see,  to  whom  no  tidings  of  him 
came, 
And  they  who  have  not  heard  shall  under- 
stand" (Rom.  i5:2of.). 

To  the  great  missionary  apostle  prophecy  meant, 
as  it  should  mean  to  all  who  love  God,  not  just  pre- 
diction of  what  God  will  cause  to  come  to  pass,  but 


Prophecy  Proves  It  Jt 

revelation  of  what  God  desires  to  be  done,  and  a 
call  to  effort  to  accomplish  this  desire.  Prophecy  is 
direction  for  service  far  more  than  prediction  of 
providence. 

So  Paul  insists  that  the  Christ  is  sent  "that  the 
nations  (Gentiles)  might  glorify  God  for  his 
mercy,"  because  he  finds  that  it  is  written,  in 
Psalm  i8 :  49 : 

"Therefore    will    I    give   praise    unto    thee 
among  the  nations 
And  sing  unto  thy  name  " ; 

And  again,  in  Deuteronomy  32 :  43 : 

"  Rejoice,  ye  nations,  with  his  people"; 

And  again,  in  Psalm  117:  i : 

"  Praise  the  Lord,  all  ye  nations ; 
And  let  all  the  peoples  praise  him  " ; 

And  again,  Isaiah  saith  (11 :  10)  : 

"  There  shall  be  the  root  of  Jesse, 
And  he  that  ariseth  to  rule  over  the  na- 
tions ; 
On  him  shall  the  nations  hope." 

Paul  then  prays  that  "  the  God  of  hope,"  who  had 
cherished  such  a  plan  and  persevered  in  it  through 
the  centuries,  would  "  fill "  the  readers  "  with  all  joy 
and  peace  in  believing"  in  such  a  universal  Christ, 
"  that  ye  may  abound  In  hope  "  of  the  wide  reach  of 
the  Gospel,  for  it  goes  forth  to  accomplish  this  di- 


72         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

vine  programme  "  La  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit " 
(see  Rom.  15:8-13). 

Was  Paul  too  generous  in  his  interpretation  of 
prophecy  ?  Or  has  he  shown  us  rather  the  true  mind 
of  God,  struggling  for  expression  in  the  limited 
vision  and  sympathy  of  the  best  men  of  ancient 
times?  By  these  incomplete,  but  clear  and  suggest- 
ive, declarations  of  His  will  God  was  preparing  the 
way  for  the  better  understanding  of  Himself  and  of 
His  attitude  toward  all  men  when  the  Christ  should 
come.  Could  the  missionary  enterprise  ever  have 
been  inaugurated  but  for  this  insight  through  which 
the  Prophets  prepared  for  it  in  the  days  when  most 
men  knew  so  little  of  the  true  character  of  the  good 
God? 

IV.  Special  Teachings  of  the  Great  Evan- 
gelical Prophet. 

As  Isaiah  is  preeminently  the  evangelical  prophet, 
who  more  consistently  and  more  persistently  than 
any  other  proclaimed  the  "  wideness  in  God's  mercy, 
like  the  wideness  of  the  sea,"  we  may  well  give  spe- 
cial attention  to  some  especially  significant  sections 
of  his  oracles. 

I.     Oracle  of  the  Prince  of  Peace. 

It  was  a  vision  quite  wonderful  in  its  range  and 
idealism  which  is  found  in  9 :  G-y :  "  For  unto  us  a 
child  is  born,  unto  us  a  son  is  given;  and  the  govern- 
ment shall  be  upon  his  shoulder;  and  his  name  shall 
be  called  Wonderful,  Counsellor,  Mighty  God,  Fa- 
ther of  Eternity  (margin),  Prince  of  Peace.  Of  the 
increase  of  his  government  and  of  peace  there  shall, 


Prophecy  Proves  It  73 

Be  no  end  upon  the  throne  of  David  and  upon  his 
kingdom,  to  establish  it,  and  to  uphold  it  with  justice 
and  with  righteousness  from  henceforth  even  for- 
ever. The  zeal  of  Jehovah  of  hosts  will  perform 
this."  This  wonderful  description  of  the  promised 
Prince  of  Peace  is  set  over  against  a  picture  of  de- 
pression and  gloom,  "The  people  that  walked  in 
darkness  have  seen  a  great  light ;  they  that  dwelt  in 
the  land  of  the  shadow  of  death,  upon  them  hath  the 
light  shined"  (verse  2). 

2.    The  Shoot  of  the  Stock  of  Jesse. 

It  is  of  the  same  time  and  in  the  same  connection 
that  we  have  the  oracle  of  chapter  eleven.  The 
broken  and  destroyed  Israel  shall  not  mark  the  fail- 
ure of  Jehovah's  plans :  "And  there  shall  come  forth 
a  shoot  out  of  the  stock  of  Jesse,  and  a  branch  of 
his  roots  shall  bear  fruit.  And  the  Spirit  of  Jehovah 
shall  rest  upon  him,  the  spirit  of  wisdom  and  under- 
standing, the  spirit  of  counsel  and  might,  the  spirit 
of  knowledge  and  of  the  fear  of  Jehovah.  And  his 
discernment  of  the  fear  of  Jehovah  shall  be  keen; 
and  he  shall  not  judge  after  the  sight  of  his  eyes, 
neither  decide  after  the  hearing  of  his  ears;  but 
with  righteousness  shall  he  judge  the  poor,  and  de- 
cide with  equity  for  the  meek  of  the  earth;  and  he 
shall  smite  the  earth  with  the  rod  of  his  mouth ;  and 
with  the  breath  of  his  lips  shall  he  slay  the  wicked. 
And  righteousness  shall  be  the  girdle  of  his  waist, 
and  faithfulness  the  girdle  of  his  loins." 

Whatever  others  may  have  measurably  met  this 
description  can  it  be  questioned  that  Jesus  supremely 


74         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

meets  its  conditions  ?  Note  how  many  of  its  phrases 
perfectly  describe  qualities  of  His  personality,  facts 
of  His  teaching  and  work,  functions  of  His  ministry. 
Can  we  not  in  certain  words  of  Jesus  clearly  discern 
His  own  application  of  certain  of  the  expressions  in 
this  paragraph  to  Himself? 

In  the  next  paragraph  we  have  the  well-known 
description  of  universal  peacefulness  under  the  fig- 
ure of  all  the  animals  living  in  harmony  and  children 
freely  handling  them.  "  They  shall  not  hurt  nor  des- 
troy in  all  my  holy  mountain;  for  the  earth  shall  be 
full  of  the  knowledge  of  Jehovah,  as  the  waters 
cover  the  sea." 

How  this  is  to  be  brought  about  is  told  next :  "And 
it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  that  the  Root  of 
Jesse,  that  standeth  for  an  ensign  of  the  peoples, 
unto  him  shall  the  nations  seek:  and  his  resting- 
place  shall  be  glorious."  This  may  well  be  the  basis 
for  that  expression  of  Jesus  at  the  close  of  His  min- 
istry: "And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will 
draw  all  men  unto  myself"  (John  12:33).  Like  a 
banner  of  deliverance  and  freedom  He  is  to  be  seen 
and  sought  by  all  the  nations.  And  He  will  not 
cease  to  work  and  to  win  until  glorious  success  has 
been  achieved.  "  His  resting-place,"  when  He 
pauses  with  His  work  completed,  will  be,  in  the  em- 
phatic '  Hebrew,  "  glory  " — not  merely  glorious,  but 
so  perfectly  glorious  as  to  be  described  only  by  the 
noun,  "  glory." 

3.     The  Servant  with  the  Spirit  of  Jehovah. 

In  describing  His  supreme  Servant  and  His  work 


Prophecy  Proves  It  75 

Jehovah,  again,  says  of  Him :  "  Behold  my  Servant, 
whom  I  uphold;  my  chosen,  in  whom  my  soul  de- 
lighteth:  I  have  put  my  Spirit  upon  him;  he  will 
bring  forth  justice  to  the  nations. 

"  He  will  not  cry,  nor  lift  up  his  voice,  nor  cause 
it  to  be  heard  in  the  street.  A  bruised  reed  will  he 
not  break,  and  a  dimly  burning  wick  will  he  not 
quench :  he  will  bring  forth  justice  in  truth. 

"  He  will  not  fail  nor  be  discouraged,  till  he  have 
set  justice  in  the  earth;  and  the  isles  shall  wait  for 
his  law"  (42: 1-4). 

The  next  paragraph  turns  from  description  of  the 
Servant  to  promise  to  Him.  Jehovah  describes  Him- 
self as  creator  of  all  things  and  sustainer  of  all,  so 
that  He  has  the  right  and  the  power  to  bestow  it. 
Then  He  says  to  His  Servant :  "  I,  Jehovah,  have 
called  thee  in  righteousness,  and  will  hold  my  hand, 
and  will  keep  thee,  and  give  thee  for  a  covenant  of 
the  people,  for  a  light  of  the  nations;  to  open  the 
blind  eyes,  to  bring  out  the  prisoners  from  the  dun- 
geon, and  them  that  sit  in  the  darkness  out  of  the 
prison  house.  I  am  Jehovah,  that  is  my  name;  and 
my  glory  will  I  not  give  to  another,  neither  my  praise 
unto  graven  images"  (5-8).  Thus  it  is  made  clear 
that  Jehovah  purposes  a  campaign  that  will  deliver 
all  from  ignorance,  superstition  and  idolatry:  that 
will  bring  justice  and  righteousness  to  all  the  world, 
even  to  the  remotest  islands:  that  will  make  His 
glory  universal. 

Another  paragraph  follows  calling  upon  various 
sections  of  the  world  to  sing  in  joyous  expectation 
of  this  deliverance,  and  announcing  that  the  might 


76         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

and  zeal  of  Jehovah  are  pledged  to  bringing  this  to 
pass  (10-13). 

4.     The  witness  in  the  face  of  heathen  need. 

The  need  of  the  idolatrous  heathen  nations  is  set 
forth  in  chapter  44  in  a  picture  which  for  sympa- 
thetic earnestness,  dramatic  vividness,  and  pathetic 
appeal  has  no  superior  in  any  literature,  (i)  The 
first  paragraph  (1-5)  is  a  reassuring  word  to 
Jehovah's  spiritual  Servant  promising  protection, 
His  Spirit,  and  a  turning  to  His  people  of  various 
peoples. 

(2)  Another  paragraph  (6-8)  declares  that  Jeho- 
vah alone  is  God,  calls  for  some  one  to  declare  for 
Him  His  character  and  His  dealings;  exhorts  to 
courage  in  facing  all  who  have  other  gods;  declares 
to  His  people  that  they  are  His  witnesses. 

(3)  Next  the  folly  and  futility  of  heathen  wor- 
ship are  declared  and  it  is  shown  that  it  will  be  easy 
to  make  manifest  this  folly  (9-1 1). 

(4)  Then  follows  (12-20)  a  heart-breaking  pic- 
ture of  the  eagerness  and  earnestness  with  which  the 
idolater  makes  and  worships  his  god,  putting  his  re- 
ligion before  all  else.  "  They  know  not,  neither  do 
they  consider;  for  their  eyes  hath  been  daubed  (cor- 
rect reading)  that  they  cannot  see;  and  their  hearts 
that  they  cannot  understand."  "  He  feedeth  on 
ashes ;  a  deceived  heart  hath  led  him  astray ;  and  he 
cannot  deliver  his  soul,  nor  say :  Is  there  not  a  lie  in 
my  right  hand  ?  " 

(5)  Finally,  in  this  section,  Jehovah  turns  to  His 
own  people  and  calls  upon  them  to  lay  to  heart  and 


Prophecy  Proves  It  77 

keep  before  them  this  terrible  condition  of  the 
heathen.  He  shows  that  His  gracious  and  wonder- 
ful forgiveness  and  salvation  of  them  was  intended 
as  a  means  by  which  He  will  glorify  Himself,  obvi- 
ously meaning  that  through  Israel,  through  His  re- 
deemed people,  He  will  take  away  the  blindness  and 
curse  of  heathenism  and  establish  instead  the  glory 
of  His  own  worship :  "  Remember  these  things,  O 
Jacob,  and  Israel:  for  thou  art  my  servant:  I  have 
formed  thee;  thou  art  my  servant:  O  Israel,  thou 
shalt  not  be  forgotten  of  me.  I  have  blotted  out,  as 
a  thick  cloud,  thy  transgressions,  and,  as  a  cloud,  thy 
sins:  return  unto  me;  for  I  have  redeemed  thee." 
Because  Jehovah  has  such  a  servant-people  and  in 
them  has  begun  such  a  redemption  there  is  joyous 
hope  for  all  the  earth :  "  Sing,  O  ye  heavens,  for  Je- 
hovah hath  done  it;  shout,  ye  lower  parts  of  the 
earth;  break  forth  into  singing,  ye  mountains,  O 
forest,  and  every  tree  therein :  for  Jehovah  hath  re- 
deemed Jacob,  and  will  glorify  himself  in  Israel  ** 
(21-23). 

5.     Promise  to  the  discouraged  Servant. 

The  forty-ninth  chapter  has  a  description  of  the 
Servant  of  Jehovah  and  of  His  experiences  In  His 
ministry  that  correspond  perfectly  to  the  course  of 
Jesus,  the  Redeemer. 

(i)  First  the  Servant  speaks  and  tells  all  the  earth 
of  Jehovah's  glorious  plan  for  Him  (1-3)  :  "  Listen, 
O  isles,  unto  me ;  and  hearken  ye  peoples,  from  far : 
Jehovah  hath  called  me  from  the  womb;  from  the 
bowels  of  my  mother  hath  he  made  mention  of  my 


78         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

name."  Recall  the  words  of  the  angel  to  Joseph, 
"  Thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus,  for  it  is  he  that 
shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins"  (Matt.  1:21). 
The  Servant  continues :  "  and  he  hath  made  my 
mouth  like  a  sharp  sword;  in  the  shadow  of  his 
hand  hath  he  hid  me:  and  he  hath  made  me  a  pol- 
ished shaft;  in  his  quiver  hath  he  kept  me  close; 
and  he  said  unto  me.  Thou  art  my  servant;  Prince 
of  God  (translation  of  Israel),  in  whom  I  will  be 
glorified." 

(2)  But  instead  of  realizing  this  description  and 
accomplishing  the  results  suggested  by  it,  the  Serv- 
ant laments  His  failure,  yet  falls  back  on  the  con- 
sciousness of  His  faithfulness  and  on  the  integrity 
of  His  God  (verse  4)  :  "  But  I  said,  I  have  laboured 
in  vain,  I  have  spent  my  strength  for  naught  and 
vanity:  yet  surely  the  justice  due  to  me  is  with  Je- 
hovah, and  my  recompense  with  my  God."  How 
well  this  fits  the  position  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the 
relative  failure  of  His  personal  ministry !  What  in- 
significant results  He  had  at  the  end,  compared  with 
His  personality.  His  devotion  and  His  desire  for 
redeeming  the  world. 

(3)  To  this  lament  of  failure  Jehovah  replies  in 
the  next  paragraph  (5-7)  :  "And  now  saith  Jehovah 
that  formed  me  from  the  womb  to  be  his  servant, 
to  bring  Jacob  again  to  him  and  that  Israel  be  gath- 
ered unto  him  (for  I  am  honourable  in  the  eyes  of 
Jehovah,  and  my  God  is  become  my  strength)  ;  yea, 
he  saith,  It  is  too  light  (too  small)  a  thing  that  thou 
shouldest  be  my  servant  to  raise  up  the  tribes  of 
Jacob,  and  to  restore  the  preserved  of  Israel :  I  will 


Prophecy  Proves  It  79 

also  give  thee  for  a  Ught  to  the  Gentiles,  that  thou 
mayest  be  my  salvation  unto  the  end  of  the  earth. 
Thus  saith  Jehovah,  the  Redeemer  of  Israel,  his 
Holy  One,  to  him  whom  man  despiseth,  to  him 
whom  the  (his  own)  nation  abhorreth,  to  a  servant 
of  rulers :  Kings  shall  see  and  arise :  princes  and  they 
shall  worship;  because  of  Jehovah  that  is  faithful, 
the  Holy  One  of  Israel,  who  hath  chosen  thee." 

The  paragraph  continues,  to  tell  how  an  age  of 
salvation  is  to  see  the  peoples  coming  from  all  quar- 
ters of  the  earth  unto  the  Redeemer. 

6.    The  Redeemer  and  His  Seed. 

One  other  oracle  of  Isaiah  turns  from  a  graphic 
picture  of  Israel's  moral  and  spiritual  failure  to  re- 
spond to  Jehovah,  to  a  larger  revelation  of  God's 
unfailing  purpose  to  win  the  world.  He  will  by 
"  his  own  arm "  and  in  "  his  own  righteousness  " 
bring  salvation.  "  So  shall  they  fear  the  name  of 
Jehovah  from  the  west,  and  his  glory  from  the  ris- 
ing of  the  sun."  The  method  of  accomplishing  this 
is  then  outlined  (59:20-60:4):  "And  a  Redeemer 
will  come  to  Zion,  and  unto  them  that  turn  from 
transgression  in  Jacob,  saith  Jehovah.  And  as  for 
me,  this  is  my  covenant  with  them  (Redeemer  and 
redeemed),  saith  Jehovah;  my  Spirit  which  is  upon 
thee,  and  my  words  which  I  have  put  in  thy  mouth, 
shall  not  depart  out  of  thy  mouth,  nor  out  of  the 
mouth  of  thy  seed,  nor  out  of  the  mouth  of  thy 
seed's  seed,  saith  Jehovah,  from  henceforth  and  for- 
ever." 

Because  of  this  message  and  this  Holy  Spirit  the 


8o         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

redeemed  are  prepared  to  bless  the  world  and  to 
glorify  God.  They  are  summoned  to  faithful  effort 
in  view  of  a  very  great  need  and  are  promised  full 
success :  "Arise,  shine,  for  thy  light  is  come,  and  the 
glory  of  Jehovah  is  risen  upon  thee.  For,  behold, 
darkness  shall  cover  the  earth,  and  gross  darkness 
the  peoples;  but  Jehovah  will  arise  upon  thee,  and 
his  glory  shall  be  seen  upon  thee.  And  nations  shall 
come  to  thy  light,  and  kings  to  the  brightness  of  thy 
rising.  Lift  up  thine  eyes  round  about,  and  see: 
they  all  gather  themselves  together,  they  come  to 
thee;  thy  sons  shall  come  from  far  and  thy  daugh- 
ters shall  be  carried  in  the  arms." 

7.     The  mountain  of  Jehovah's  house. 

We  may  close  our  study  of  the  missionary  message 
through  the  Prophets  with  a  passage  from  Micah 
(4:1-5),  found  also  in  part  in  Isaiah  (2:2-4): 
"  But  in  the  latter  days  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  the 
mountain  of  Jehovah*s  house  shall  be  established  at 
the  head  of  the  mountains,  and  it  shall  be  exalted 
above  the  hills ;  and  peoples  shall  flow  into  it."  The 
religion  of  Jehovah  shall  be  recognized  as  the  su- 
preme religion,  shall  come  to  be  recognized  as  the 
head  of  them  all.  "  And  many  nations  shall  go  (be- 
stir themselves)  and  say.  Come  let  us  go  up  to  the 
mountain  of  Jehovah,  and  to  the  house  of  the  God 
of  Jacob ;  and  he  will  teach  us  of  his  ways,  and  we 
will  walk  in  his  paths." 

The  reason  for  this  eager  interest  and  turning  to 
the  religion  of  Jehovah  is,  "  For  out  of  Zion  shall  go 
forth  instruction  (margin),  and  the  word  of  Jehovah 


Prophecy  Proves  It  8l 

from  Jerusalem;  and  he  will  judge  among  many 
peoples  and  will  decide  concerning  strong  nations 
afar  off;  and  they  shall  beat  their  swords  into  plow- 
shares, and  their  spears  into  pruning-hooks ;  nation 
shall  not  lift  up  sword  against  nation,  neither  shall 
they  learn  war  any  more.  But  they  shall  sit  every 
man  under  his  vine  and  under  his  fig  tree ;  and  none 
shall  make  them  afraid:  for  the  mouth  of  Jehovah  of 
hosts  hath  spoken  it."  The  need  for  such  a  redemp- 
tion and  the  call  to  faithfulness  in  the  people  who 
know  Jehovah  is  seen  in  this :  "  For  all  the  peoples 
walk  every  one  in  the  name  of  his  god:  and  we  will 
walk  in  the  name  of  Jehovah  our  God  for  ever  and 
ever." 

With  a  God  such  as  these  prophets  proclaim,  with 
purposes  of  grace  and  mercy  such  as  they  announce, 
was  not  Christianity  inevitable  and  the  missionary 
enterprise  a  moral  necessity? 


Questions  for  Review  and  Reflection 
What  is  prophecy,  and  what  its  purpose  ? 

How  does  Jonah  especially  teach  the  wider  love 
of  God? 

To  whom  was  Daniel  a  prophet  ? 

What  did  Daniel  accomplish  ? 

What  are  the  words  that  record  Jeremiah's  call  ? 

What  principle  underlies  his  call  and  his  mes- 
sages ? 

To  what  extent,  and  in  what  ways,  was  Isaiah  a 
messenger  of  God  to  Gentile  peoples  ? 


82         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

What  do  these  prophecies  and  the  words  of  Psalm 
CV  show  as  to  God's  purpose  in  Israel? 

Point  out  elements  of  universalism  in  the  religion 
of  the  prophets. 

What  prophecy  was  used  by  Peter  on  Pentecost  ? 

How  does  Amos  agree  with  the  progress  of  the 
Gospel  as  preached  by  Barnabas  and  Paul? 

Show  how  Paul  used  the  prophecies  to  support  his 
work. 

What  use  did  Paul  make  of  prophecy  for  de- 
termining his  own  ambition  ? 

Name  the  seven  oracles  of  Isaiah  (including  one 
found  also  in  Micah)  that  show  God's  missionary 
purpose. 


V 

THE  CHRIST  GOD'S  MISSIONARY 
MESSAGE 

I.  God  Revealing  Himself  in  Christ  as  the 
Saviour  of  All. 

I.    Four  fundamental  passages. 

"  God  so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his  only 
begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him 
should   not   perish,   but   have   eternal    life"    (John 

3:16). 

"  God  was  in  Christ  reconciling  the  world  unto 
himself"  (2  Cor.  5:  19). 

"  God  having  of  old  time  spoken  unto  the  fathers 
in  the  prophets  by  divers  portions  and  in  divers  man- 
ners, hath  at  the  end  of  these  days  spoken  unto  us  in 
his  Son,  whom  he  appointed  heir  of  all  things, 
through  whom  also  he  made  the  ages  (margin)  ; 
who  being  the  effulgence  of  his  glory,  and  the  very 
image  of  his  substance,  and  upholding  all  things  by 
the  word  of  his  power,  when  he  had  made  purifica- 
tion of  sins,  sat  down  on  the  right  hand  of  the  maj- 
esty on  high  "  (Heb.  i :  1-3). 

"  It  was  the  good  pleasure  of  God  that  in  him 
should  all  the  fullness  dwell;  and  through  him  to 
reconcile  all  things  unto  himself,  having  made  peace 
through  the  blood  of  his  cross;  through  him,  /  say, 
whether  things  upon  the  earth,  or  things  in  the 
heavens"  (Col.  2:19-30). 

83 


84         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

Think  carefully  through  these  four  Scripture  quo- 
tations and  see  what  they  tell  us  about  God's  idea  and 
objective  in  the  Christ,  in  His  incarnation,  and  in 
His  atonement.  Then  recall,  from  i  Timothy  2 : 1-7, 
Paul's  plea  "  that  supplications,  prayers  and  interces- 
sions, thanksgivings,  be  made  for  all  men^"  v^hich  is 
declared  to  be  "  good  and  acceptable  in  the  sight  of 
God  our  Saviour  "  because  He  "  would  have  all  men 
to  be  saved,  and  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth." 
With  such  a  desire  God  sent  the  "  one  mediator 
.  .  .  Christ  Jesus,  who  gave  himself  a  ransom 
^£or  all."  The  wish  and  plan  of  God  are  such  as  pro- 
duce J  in  Paul  the  conviction  that  he  was  himself 
"  appointed  a  preacher  and  an  apostle  (a  Greek 
word,  the  Latin-English  equivalent  of  which  is  mis- 
sionary), a  teacher  of  the  Gentiles  in  faith  and 
truth."  Note  carefully  the  various  items  in  the  phi- 
losophy of  Missions  that  are  contained  in  this  state- 
ment of  Paul. 

2.     John's  Prologue  interpreting  the  Incarnation. 

Now,  the  teachings  of  all  these  Scriptures  are  con- 
densed and  powerfully  stated  in  the  "  Prologue  "  of 
the  Gospel  of  John  (i :  1-18).  (i)  The  term  Word 
there  used  as  a  name  for  the  Christ  means  the  ex- 
pression of  God,  the  medium  through  which  God 
makes  known  His  nature  and  His  will.  Words  are 
the  means  by  which  communication  is  carried  on,  by 
which  personality  declares  itself  and  communicates 
its  thought,  will  and  emotion.  The  spiritual,  invis- 
ible God  could  make  Himself  known  to  men,  in  His 
nature  and  will,  only  through  some  form,  or  forms 
of  human  apprehension  and  expression.     Inasmuch 


The  Christ  God's  Missionary  Message     85 

as  words  are  our  most  usual  and  effective  way  of 
expressing  ourselves,  when  God  would  communicate 
with  men  in  definitely  understandable  terms  He 
naturally,  we  may  say  necessarily,  employed  human 
speech.  This  He  did  through  men  so  at  one  with 
God  in  some  matters  or  for  some  occasions  that  they 
could  speak  as  God's  voice.  These  men  were 
prophets — men  who  spoke-for  God.  Hence  the 
standard  expressions,  "  the  word  of  the  Lord  which 
came  unto  the  prophet,"  "  the  word  of  the  Lord  by 
(or  through)  the  prophet,"  etc.  Then,  by  a  normal 
development  the  term  "  word  of  God  "  was  applied 
to  any  idea  and  to  all  ideas  and  ideals  concerning 
which  the  conviction  had  been  produced  that  they 
represented  God's  will  with  reference  to  man. 

The  definite,  deep,  comprehensive  will  of  God 
could  be  expressed  only  by  one,  unitary  personality, 
who  combining  in  Himself  all  aspects  of  God's  per- 
sonal relation  to  men  and  plan  for  men  would  be,  in 
a  unique  sense,  above  that  which  could  apply  to  any 
other,  God's  Prophet.  He  would  combine  In  His 
message  all  the  essential  features  of  all  the  messages 
of  prophets  of  God,  thus  unifying  and  concentrating 
God's  word  to  men.  He  would  not  only  speak  God's 
mind  and  heart  but  would  be  the  mind  and  heart  of 
God,  speaking  in  life  and  teaching,  in  all  His  experi- 
ences. He  would  be  God's  counterpart  in  such  sense 
that  Son  of  God  would  be  the  only  term  of  human 
speech  in  which  to  define  Him  in  His  relation  to  God 
and  in  His  representation  of  God  to  men.  He  would 
be  able  to  say:  "  If  ye  had  known  me,  ye  would  have 
known  my  Father  also:  from  henceforth  ye  know 


86         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

him,  and  have  seen  him"  (John  14:7);  "He  that 
hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the  Father"  (John  14:9)  ; 
"  He  that  believeth  on  me,  believeth  not  on  me,  but 
on  him  that  sent  me.  And  he  that  beholdeth  me  be- 
holdeth  him.  that  sent  me.  I  am  come  a  Hght  unto 
the  world,  that  whosoever  believeth  on  me  may  not 
abide  in  the  darkness.  ...  I  come,  not  to  judge 
the  world,  but  to  save  the  world.  He  that  rejecteth 
me,  and  receiveth  not  my  sayings,  hath  one  that 
judge th  him :  the  word  which  I  spake,  the  same  shall 
judge  him  in  the  last  day"  (John  12:44-48).  He 
could  desire  that  men  "know  and  understand  that 
the  Father  is  in  me,  and  I  in  the  Father"  (John 
10:  38).  Of  Him  the  Father  God  could  say:  "  This 
is  my  Son,  my  chosen;  hear  ye  him"  (Luke  9:  37). 

So  completely  and  unfailingly  does  He  represent 
God  that  He  is  God's  full  and  final  Word.  He  who 
was  in  a  definite  time  and  place  the  perfect  Word  of 
God  was  necessarily  also  always  the  Word  of  God. 
The  Christ  is  eternal.  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  His 
definite,  concrete,  human  experience.  In  that  human 
Jesus  we  know  the  eternal,  spiritual  Christ,  and  in 
Jesus,  therefore,  we  know  God  In  His  attitude  and 
purpose  and  work  with  reference  to  the  human  race. 
Such  is  John's  teaching  in  this  Prologue. 

(2)  This  attitude  of  God  is  inherent  and  abiding.  It 
is  not  an  afterthought.  For  "  In  the  beginning  was  the 
Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God  (face  to  face,  as 
a  counterpart,  a  counter-personality),  and  the  Word 
was  God."  Whatever  the  Word  is  found  to  be,  that 
God  is.  So  fundamental  in  the  nature  and  plan  of 
God  is  that  which  He  will  later  express  clearly  in 


The  Christ  God's  Missionary  Message     87 

His  Son  incarnate,  that  the  very  world  making  was 
done  in  Him:  "All  things  were  made  through  him; 
and  without  him  was  not  anything  made  that  hath 
been  made."  God  thus  made  the  Christ  the  founda- 
tion and  the  producing  agency  of  men  and  of  man's 
world. 

*' In  him  was  life:  and  the  life  was  the  light  of 
men."  As  the  Light  of  mankind,  even  in  the  days  of 
spiritual  darkness,  He  was  present,  and  although  not 
apprehended  and  appreciated,  still  He  was  never  sup- 
pressed. Something  of  His  light  shined  upon  every 
man:  "And  the  light  shineth  in  the  darkness;  and 
the  darkness  apprehended  it  not."  For  this  reason 
God  provided  men  to  call  attention  to  the  Light  that 
'men  might  give  heed  to,  and  walk  in,  His  light.  Of 
such  witnesses  John  the  Baptist  was  preeminent,  just 
preceding  the  full  shining  in  the  incarnation: 
"  There  came  a  man,  sent  from  God,  whose  name 
was  John.  The  same  came  for  witness,  that  he 
might  bear  witness  of  the  light,  that  all  men  might 
believe  through  him.  He  was  not  the  light,  but 
came  that  he  might  bear  witness  of  the  Light. 
There  was  the  true  light,  which  lighteth  every  man, 
coming  into  the  world." 

(3)  This  light  is  thus  represented  as  being  uni- 
versal. It  was  the  desire  that  all  men  believe  Him, 
even  as  He  in  some  measure,  at  least,  shined  for 
every  man  in  the  world.  All  through  the  ages  "he 
was  In  the  world,  and  the  world  was  made  through 
him,"  so  intimate  was  His  relation  to  the  world,  so 
close  was  He  to  it.  Yet  "  the  world  knew  him  not," 
failed    to    recognize    Him.     "  He    came    unto    that 


88         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

which  was  his  own"  (see  margin),  which  therefore 
ought  to  have  recognized  Him  and  received  Him,  but 
such  was  their  blindness  that  "  they  which  were  his 
own  did  not  receive  him." 

Yet  even  in  those  dark,  unapprehending  days  He 
was  not  wholly  failing.  Some  did  see  and  believe. 
"  But  as  many  as  received  him,  to  them  gave  he  the 
right  to  become  children  of  God,  even  to  them 
that  believe  on  his  name;  who  were  bom,  not  of 
blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will  of 
man,  but  of  God."  This  process  was  going  on 
through  all  the  ages.  But  it  was  too  slow  a  process 
to  satisfy  God.  His  plan  provided  a  better  way.  It 
was  at  fearful  cost,  but  God  in  Christ  was  ready  to 
pay  the  price.  Man  was  too  blind  to  see  save 
through  the  physical  eye.  Man  was  too  sinful  to 
grasp  the  idea  of  atonement  until  his  sins  were 
washed  away  in  blood.  "And  the  Word  became 
flesh  and  dwelt  among  us  (and  we  beheld  his  glory, 
glory  as  of  the  only  begotten  from  the  Father),  full 
of  grace  and  truth." 

(4)  It  was  to  announce  His  coming  that  John  the 
Baptist  came.  "John  beareth  witness  of  him,  and 
crieth,  saying,  This  was  he  of  whom  I  said,  he  that 
Cometh  after  me  is  become  before  me:  for  he  was 
supreme  with  reference  to  me"  (cf.  margin).  All 
who  came  to  know  Him  felt  His  supremacy.  His  full 
revelation.  His  satisfying  grace.  "  For  of  his  full- 
ness we  all  received  and  grace  upon  grace  (margin). 
For  the  law  was  given  through  Moses:  grace  and 
truth  came  through  Jesus  Christ."  The  difference  is 
significant.    The  law  was  given;  Moses  could  bring 


The  Christ  God's  Missionary  Message     89 

that.  It  was  temporary  and  preparatory.  Grace  and 
truth  were  permanent  and  were  not  just  gifts  from 
God,  but  through  Jesus  Christ  grace  and  truth  came 
to  take  possession  of  men,  to  master  them.  So  God 
has  come  within  the  range  of  man's  power  to  grasp, 
to  understand,  to  believe,  to  appreciate.  "  No  man 
hath  seen  God  at  any  time;  the  only  begotten  Son, 
who  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father,  he  hath  declared 
him."  Thus  the  Christ  of  all  the  ages  became 
Christ  Jesus  in  one  particular  age,  that  we  might 
know  Him,  and  knowing  Him  might  know  God,  and 
become  children  of  God  by  faith  in  Christ  Jesus  (cf.  J 
John  20:  31). 

II.  The  Spirit  of  Universalism,  in  the 
Circle  of  Jesus  in  His  Childhood. 

In  the  circle  into  which  Jesus  came  at  birth  and  in 
which  His  childhood  moved  it  is  interesting  and  very 
significant  to  find  the  spirit  of  universalism  stirring 
the  hearts  and  ideals.  It  was  a  small  circle  and  not 
one  exerting  any  wide  influence  over  the  thought  of 
the  time.  It  would,  however,  influence  the  ideas  of 
the  growing  Jesus.  It  was  a  circle  dominated  by  the 
Holy  Spirit,  a  circle  prepared  for  the  reception  of 
the  Messiah.  Their  insight  into  the  nature  of  the 
Messianic  work  and  the  scope  of  Messiah's  mission 
cannot  but  have  been  used  by  the  Spirit  to  guide  the 
ideals  which  Jesus  would  very  early  begin  to  cherish. 
It  would  be  impossible  now  to  determine  the  measure 
of  universalism  in  the  concepts  of  Mary  and  Joseph, 
of  Zacharlas  and  Simeon.  They  may  have  realized 
but  little  of  the  world-wide  scope  of  the  mission  of 


go         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

the  Child  with  whom  they  were  all  connected.  We 
cannot  suppose  that  they  attained  unto  any  adequate 
idea  of  a  free  gospel  for  all  men.  That  was  not 
necessary.  It  was  hardly  possible  in  their  environ- 
ment. They  would  expect  the  Jews  to  be  at  the 
head  of  any  movement  which  He  might  originate  and 
perfect.  What  is  significant  is  that  they  went  to 
their  Bible — the  Old  Testament — for  their  religious 
instruction  and  for  terms  to  express  their  insights 
and  emotions,  and  that  they  recognized  that  God  was 
dealing  with  them,  through  angels,  visions,  and  His 
Holy  Spirit,  to  bring  to  consummation  the  great 
promises  and  purposes  of  the  God  of  Abraham  and 
of  David.  The  Scriptures  which  we  find  them  quot- 
ing are  those  which  will  earliest  influence  the  reading 
and  the  ideas  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  When  we  ex- 
amine these  Scriptures  we  find  them  such  as  will 
place  Him  in  the  midst  of  the  spiritual,  human,  uni- 
versal aspect  of  the  religion  of  His  fathers,  the  reve- 
lation of  His  heavenly  Father. 

I.  To  Zacharias  it  was  made  known  by  Gabriel 
that  his  son  would  be  the  cause  of  rejoicing  by  many, 
would  be  great  in  the  sight  of  Jehovah,  would  be 
filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit  from  birth,  would  go  be- 
fore the  face  of  the  coming  Lord  in  the  spirit  and 
power  of  Elijah,  would  teach  the  wisdom  of  justice 
and  would  prepare  a  people  for  the  Lord  (see  Luke 
1 :  13-20).  We  should  note  that  it  is  the  religion  of 
righteousness  that  John  would — and  did — preach, 
the  religion  of  the  prophets.  No  word  is  said  of  the 
exaltation  of  the  Jews,  nor  of  political  and  material 
glory.     It  is  all  spiritual  and  ethical. 


The  Christ  God's  Missionary  Message     9 1 

When  John  was  born  and  Zacharias  was  released 
from  his  dumbness  he  "  was  filled  with  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  prophesied."  He  dwelt  upon  the  cove- 
nant and  promises  to  Abraham  and  to  David,  and  he 
quoted  in  thought  from  Isaiah  9,  one  of  the  most 
marked  of  the  universal  Messianic  oracles.  It  was 
holiness  and  righteousness,  in  the  service  of  their 
God,  that  the  new  order  of  John  and  the  Lord  would 
bring  in.  John  was  to  make  ready  the  ways  of  the 
'  Lord,  "  to  give  knowledge  of  salvation  "  and  "  remis- 
sion of  sins."  And  it  was  all,  "  Because  of  the  heart 
of  mercy  (margin)  of  our  God, 

Whereby  the  day-spring  from  on  high  shall  visit  us. 
To  shine  upon  them  that  sit  in  darkness ; 
To  guide  our  feet  into  the  way  of  peace"   (see 
Luke  I ;  67-79). 

There  Is  in  the  entire  prophecy  no  word  of  polit-  \ 
ical   and  material  greatness,   save  only  deliverance  ! 
from  oppression  and  hatred  so  that  the  people  would 
be  free  to  worship  and  to  realize  the  righteousness 
demanded  by  God.     The  blessings  were  just  such  as 
all  men  needed  and  such  as  all  men  could  receive. 

2.  Joseph  was  instructed  to  have  no  fear  con- 
cerning his  relation  to  Mary,  but  to  take  her  and  to 
call  her  child  by  the  name  of  Jesus,  which  means 
Saviour,  "  for  he  It  is  that  shall  save  his  people 
from  their  sins."  No  word  here  of  political  deliver- 
ance, nor  of  ceremonial  freedom.  It  Is  "  from  sins  " 
that  Jesus  Is  to  be  Saviour,  and  such  Is  a  human,  not 
a  national  or  class,  need  (see  Matt.  1:20-21). 


92         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

3.  Mary's  Psalm,  in  response  to  Elizabeth's  greet- 
ing, is  rich  in  suggestion  because  it  shows  us  the  at- 
mosphere of  thought  and  emotion  in  which  she  will 
rear  her  Holy  Spirit-given  Son  (see  Luke  i :  46-55). 
She  thinks  of  God  as  Saviour,  as  faithful  and  merci- 
ful, as  concerned  for  those  who  most  need  Him  and 
as  now  about  to  "  remember  mercy  "  "  toward  Abra- 
ham and  his  seed  forever,"  mercy  which,  as  we  saw, 
in  Chapter  H,  was  to  use  Abraham  and  his  seed  as 
instruments  to  bless  all  the  families  of  the  earth. 

4.  When  the  angels  announced  to  the  shepherds 
of  Bethlehem  field  the  birth  of  "  a  Saviour,  who  is 
Christ  the  Lord,"  and  sang  of  "  peace  on  earth,"  it 
was  "  glad  tidings  of  great  joy  "  not  only  to  "  all  the 
people"  of  Israel,  but  "to  all  the  people"  of  the 
entire  world  (Luke  2:8-14). 

5.  When  the  infant  Jesus  was  brought  to  the 
temple  and  met  by  Simeon,  upon  whom  was  the  Holy 
Spirit,  to  whom  it  "  had  been  revealed  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  that  he  should  not  see  death  before  he  had 
seen  the  Lord's  Christ,"  we  probably  face  the  man 
who  of  all  in  his  day  had  most  deeply  studied  the 
Messianic  ideal.  He  expresses  this  ideal  in  a  beau- 
tiful hymn,  the  "  Nunc  Dimittis  "  (Luke  2:  25-32). 

Now,  Master,  dost  thou  permit  thy  servant  to  de- 
part 
In  peace  according  to  thy  promise, 
For  mine  eyes  have  looked  upon  thy  salvation 
Which  thou  hast  prepared  before  the  face  of  all  the 

peoples  ; 
A  light  to  shine  through  the  veil  of  the  Gentiles 
And  the  glory  of  thy  people  Israel. 

(Translation  by  the  author.) 


The  Christ  God's  Missionary  Message     93 

Simeon  quotes  directly  Isaiah  42:6,  49:6,  save 
that  he  reverses  Isaiah's  order,  so  as  to  place  the 
illumination  of  the  Gentile  peoples  first  and  to 
make  the  glory  of  Israel  to  consist  in  this  world- 
wide salvation.  He  reflects  Psalm  98  very  closely, 
and  in  general  shows  that  he  is  saturated  with 
the  idea  of  a  Saviour  of  mankind.  He  appre- 
hends that  such  a  mission  on  the  part  of  Jesus  will 
bring  opposition  and  produce  a  religious  revolution 
among  the  Jews.  Mary's  heart  is  to  be  pierced  by 
the  experiences  through  which  her  Son  will  fulfill 
such  a  mission  (Luke  2:34-35).  We  are  definitely 
told  that  this  incident  with  Simeon  made  a  great  im- 
pression on  both  Joseph  and  Mary  (v.  33).  It 
would  in  turn  influence  Jesus.  We  may  know  from 
such  passages  as  these  the  circle  of  ideas  within 
which  Jesus  would  begin  His  religious  thinking,  and 
the  principles  which  would  guide  His  first  steps  in 
self-interpretation. 

6.  Among  the  incidents  of  His  infancy  and  the 
stories  which  would  excite  His  boyish  imagination 
when  narrated  to  Him  none  is  more  full  of  fruitful 
suggestion  than  the  homage  of  the  wise  men  whose 
long  pilgrimage  "  from  the  east "  brought  them  so 
opportunely  to  His  infant  feet  with  gifts  of  gratitude 
and  hopeful  expectation  (Matt.  2:  iff.). 

It  is  probably  because  such  features  as  are  found 
in  these  first  two  chapters  of  each  of  the  First  and 
Third  Gospels  were  known  to  be  so  consonant  with 
Jesus*  own  interpretation  of  His  mission  and  with 
the  attitude  which  He  ultimately  inspired  in  His  fol- 
lowers that  they  found  place  in  the  records  of  His 
nativity. 


94         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

III.    The  Universalism  of  Jesus  in  His  Con-» 

CEPTION  OF  MeSSIAHSHIP. 

That  Jesus  interpreted  Himself  as  being  His  Fa- 
ther's message  of  love  and  redemption  to  man  as 
man,  and  therefore  to  all  men,  is  evidenced  in  the 
whole  tenor  of  His  teaching  and  of  His  bearing  to- 
ward men.  We  have  seen  with  what  sort  of  prophe- 
cies and  psalms  He  nurtured  His  spirit  and  schooled 
His  soul. 

1.  In  the  Old  Testament  there  are  two  ideals  of 
the  Messiah  and  of  the  Messianic  age.  One  magni- 
fies Israel  and  looks  to  her  exaltation  and  honour; 
makes  the  Messiah  a  glorious  ruler  with  widening 
realm,  bringing  other  peoples,  even  all  other  peoples, 
to  subordination  or  to  inclusion  within  the  kingdom 
of  the  chosen  People  of  Jehovah.  Even  in  this  ideal, 
righteousness  and  mercy,  peace  and  fraternity  usu- 
ally play  a  large  part.  The  other  ideal  makes  of  the 
Messiah  a  great  sufferer,  pictures  Him  in  humilia- 
tion and  death.  And  always  His  great  motives  are 
to  vindicate  the  honour  and  the  justice  of  Jehovah 
and  to  redeem  His  people  from  their  sins.  With  this 
conception  there  is  interwoven  also  the  principle  of 
universalism.  The  Messianic  blessings  are  to  reach 
all  peoples.  His  kingdom  is  to  be  over  all,  but  it  is 
a  kingdom  of  right,  founded  on  grateful  love. 
These  two  ideals  are  strangely  interwoven  in  the  rec- 
ords of  Israel's  religion. 

2.  Jesus  and  the  Jews  took  different  directions. 

The  Jews  of  Jesus'  day,  as  indeed  the  vast  major- 
ity of  Hebrews  of  all  days,  selected  the  promises  of 
political   greatness   and   of   material   grandeur.     In 


The  Christ  God's  Missionary  Message     95 

nothing  is  His  genius  so  remarkable  as  in  the  manner 
in  which  Jesus  analyzed  these  superficially  inconsist- 
ent ideals  and  constructed  His  own  personal  ideal  in 
terms  of  service  and  suffering,  of  redemption  and 
spiritual  reconstruction.  He  either  postponed  all  the 
promises  of  glory  and  exaltation,  to  come  as  reward 
and  achievement  through  sacrificial  service  and  re- 
deeming helpfulness;  or  He  gave  them  a  spiritual 
and  moral  meaning  which  not  only  postponed  their 
fulfillment,  to  follow  an  age  of  redemption  through 
the  Gospel,  but  inevitably  made  the  Messiah's  reign 
to  be  one  in  which  grace  and  character,  not  pride  and 
privilege,  were  to  be  the  marks  of  worthiness,  and  in 
which  the  power  of  control  would  be  love  and  truth 
and  not  might  and  external  authority. 

It  was  not  without  deep  meaning  that  both  John 
and  Jesus  began  their  work,  and  continued  it  to  the 
end,  without  in  any  organic  way  connecting  it  with 
the  authority  and  the  forms  of  Jewish  religious  or- 
ganization of  the  day.  The  kingdom  which  they  con- 
stantly preached  was  that  which  Jehovah  had  prom- 
ised and  planned,  but  it  was  never  entangled  or 
corrupted  with  political  elements  or  material  ambi- 
tions. This  kingdom  idea  was  the  central,  the 
dominating,  the  constructive  idea  in  all  the  teaching, 
work  and  hope  of  Jesus.  He  succeeded  only  a  little 
while  before  His  death  in  making  even  His  followers 
understand  that  He  was  concerned  with  righteous- 
ness and  redemption,  not  with  power  and  world  rule. 
Then  most  of  His  followers  left  Him,  while  He  held 
unfalteringly  to  His  ideal,  and  to  His  course,  **  stead- 
fastly setting  his  face  to  go  to  Jerusalem." 


96         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

It  was  not  just  because  His  Messianic  ideal  so  con- 
tradicted that  which  the  Jewish  authorities  cherished 
and  demanded  that  they  turned  upon  Him  with  rage 
and  dragged  Him  to  the  cross.  They  could  have 
allowed  Him  to  go  on  with  His  fine  idealism  to  lose 
His  following  and  fail  as  many  an  impractical  idealist 
has  failed  to  found  any  permanent  enterprise.  Jesus 
constantly  declared  Himself  God's  representative, 
God's  very  Son,  and  made  His  teaching  and  His 
person  the  divine  standard  of  judgment,  not  of  His 
followers  alone,  not  even  of  His  own  nation  alone, 
but  of  all  men.  He  grew  bold  to  denounce  the  con- 
stituted authorities  in  religious  as  in  civil  affairs,  as 
blind  guides,  hypocritical  hinderers  of  God's  will. 
He  announced  that  the  kingdom  would  be  taken 
away  from  them  and  given  to  another  people  who 
would  honour  God  with  the  fruits  of  His  kingdom. 
If  He  were  right  their  scriptures,  as  understood  by 
them,  were  false,  their  hope  was  gone,  and  their  God 
was  turning  from  them  to  become  the  God  of  sin- 
ners and  outcasts.  He  was  profane,  blasphemous, 
despicable  in  their  eyes.  They  slew  Him  and  buried 
Him.  The  resurrection  was  God's  verdict  in  favour 
of  Jesus  against  the  Pharisees,  in  favour  of  His  inter- 
pretation of  God  as  against  theirs.  He  was  the  only 
true  Son  of  God.  God's  attitude  toward  men  had 
been  revealed  in  Him.  He  was  God's  message  to 
mankind. 

\     IV.    Jesus'  Designations  of  HtuisELF  Show  His 
Universal  Love  and  Ideals. 
What   interpretation  of   Himself   Jesus   gave   is 


The  Christ  God's  Missionary  Message     97 

indicated  by  the  designations  of  Himself  which  He 
most  used  and  most  approved. 

1.  On  the  one  side  He  was  "  the  Son  of  Man" 
More  than  all  else  He  used  this  phrase  to  designate 
Himself.  If  it  was  a  recognized  term  for  the  Mes- 
siah, which  by  no  means  is  certain,  still  it  was  a 
highly  significant  term.  It  identified  Him  with  human 
nature,  defined  Him  as  one  with  all  mankind.  No 
other  designation  so  well  fitted  His  sympathies,  ex- 
pressed His  consciousness  of  a  mission  to  all  and  His 
longing  for  all.  In  the  Synoptic  Gospels,  where  we 
find  the  course  of  His  teaching,  this  is  much  the 
commonest  term  employed  by  Him. 

2.  In  His  followers  He  encouraged  the  constant 
use  of  the  title  "  Teacher."  There  is  no  need  to  cite 
examples.  The  word  "  Master  "  in  our  translations 
is  almost  everywhere  the  word  for  teacher,  school- 
master. 

3.  While  we  do  not  find  Jesus  often  reported  as 
naming  Himself  "  the  Son  of  God  "  we  do  find  Him 
persistently  calling  God  His  Father.  When  censured 
for  this  He  held  to  it  and  defended  it  and  went  on 
to  say  that  all  judgment  had  been  committed  to  the 
Son  and  that  the  dead  would  hear  the  voice  of  the 
Son  of  God  and  come  forth  to  judgment  (cf.  John 
5: 17-27).  He  allowed  the  term  in  private  by  His 
disciples  (see  John  1:49,  9 -35  J  Matt.  14:33, 
16:16). 

When  the  devil  came  to  tempt  Him  in  the  wilder- 
ness he  assailed  Him  in  the  deepest  consciousness 
and  feeling  of  His  relation  to  God  by  saying  re- 
peatedly, "  If  thou  art  the  Son  of  God."    The  form 


98         The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

of  condition  there  employed  is  one  of  assuming  a 
truth  and  drawing  an  inference.  Satan  used  this 
term  because  it  was  in  this  term  that  Jesus  was  de- 
fining for  Himself  His  relation  to  God,  even  as  He 
had  been  doing  since  He  was  twelve  years  old  (Luke 
2:49). 

Repeatedly  it  is  represented  that  the  demons  ap- 
plied this  name  to  Jesus.  He  rebuked  them  and 
commanded  them  not  to  tell  who  He  was,  but  at  no 
time  questioned  the  truth  of  their  identification  (cf. 
Luke  4:41,  8:28,  etc.).  His  enemies  interpreted 
His  constant  references  to  God  as  His  Father  as 
involving  a  claim  of  Sonship  and  this  He  never  de- 
nied. When  it  became  necessary  to  affirm  or  deny, 
at  the  end,  He  frankly  made  the  claim  (Matt 
26:63). 

Connect  these  three  designations,  and  what  do  they 
involve?  Son  of  God,  Son  of  Man,  Teacher.  He 
had  come  as  God's  Son  to  be  the  Son  of  Man  in 
order  that  man  might  learn  God.  This  was  His  way 
of  giving  life  to  the  world. 


V.    Teaching  of  the  Great  Prayer  of  Jesus. 

In  His  final  prayer  with  His  eleven  at  the  gate  of 
Gethsemane,  closing  His  ministry  and  going  to  His 
agony,  our  Lord  reveals  Himself  as  God's  personal 
message  to  win  a  lost  world  in  a  depth  of  emotion 
and  a  poise  of  purpose  which  we  can  indicate  only, 
in  a  brief  study  of  John  17.  For  the  fullest  appre- 
ciation the  prayer  should  be  studied  in  the  light 
of   the   entire   "Upper   Room   Discourse"    (John 


The  Christ  God's  Missionary  Message     99 

13-17).  The  prayer  readily  divides  into  three  sec- 
tions. 

1.  In  the  first  Jesus  presents  Himself  and  His 
completed  life-work  to  His  Father  and  asks  to  re- 
ceive again  the  glory  v^rhich  He  had  shared  v^ith  the 
Father  before  the  world  was.  This  is  in  order  that 
the  Son  may  glorify  the  Father  in  full  measure, 
whom  already  He  has  glorified  on  the  earth  by  finish- 
ing the  work  assigned  by  the  Father  for  Him  to  do. 
God  has  given  to  Him  "  authority  over  all  flesh  "  and 
intended  for  Him  to  impart  eternal  life,  in  His  own 
person  and  ministry,  to  all  whom  the  Father  had 
given  Him.  This  brings  Jesus  to  define  eternal  life. 
It  consists  in  knowing  the  only  true  God  through 
Jesus  Christ  whom  God  had  sent  to  make  Him 
known  (vs.  1-8). 

There  stand  out  in  this  paragraph  these  points : 
(i)  Men  must  know  God  in  Christ  to  be  saved. 

(2)  To  the  Christ  God  has  committed  all  flesh. 

(3)  His  plan  has  been  to  gather  a  limited,  as- 
signed group  and  to  make  them  understand  the 
"  name,"  l  e.,  the  nature  and  purpose,  of  the  Father. 

(4)  These  men  have  come  to  know  God's  word  in 
Christ  and  have  adopted  It  as  from  God.  The  work 
has  got  a  definite  beginning. 

(5)  In  the  Christ  and  in  His  work,  now  begun, 
God  is  to  be  glorified  on  earth. 

2.  In  the  second  section  of  the  prayer  (vs.  9-19) 
Jesus  prays  for  this  group  of  men  in  whom  He  has 

begun  the  work  of  making  God  known  to  man.  In 
a  very  special  sense  they  belong  to  God.  They  are 
110  longer  "of  the  world"  but  constitute  "in  the 


loo       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

world  "  a  new,  special  type  of  life,  God's  people  in  a 
new  sense.  They  must  be  kept  pure  in  the  world, 
genuinely  set  apart  for  God  ("sanctified")  because 
they  are  taking  the  Christ's  place  in  the  world :  "  As 
thou  didst  send  me  into  the  world,  even  so  sent  I 
them  into  the  world."  The  saving  work,  begun  in 
Jesus,  is  to  continue  in  these  men,  and  in  men  like 
them. 

3.  Finally  the  Lord  prays  for  all  "  them  also  that 
believe  on  me  through  their  word"  (vs.  20-26).  It 
is  in  this  section  that  we  come  to  the  great  objective 
of  all  the  prayer^  as  of  the  whole  mission  of  the 
Master. 

(i)  There  is  the  passionate,  repeated  and  urgent 
longing  that  all  believers  may  be  one.  This  probably 
means  one  in  spirit,  purpose,  fellowship,  work.  It 
cannot  mean  organization,  for  Jesus  did  not  plan  any 
centralized  organization,  and  the  spirit  of  His  re- 
ligion is  averse  to  any  such  organic  unification.  But 
unity  of  spirit,  oneness  with  Himself,  and  with  the 
Father  in  world  work  was  an  unutterable  desire  of 
His  soul. 

(2)  The  objective  which  lay  out  beyond  this  unity 
of  believers  in  Christ  and  in  God  is  '  that  the  world 
may  believe  that  God  had  sent  Jesus.'  A  second 
time  He  adds :  "  that  the  world  may  know  that  thou 
didst  send  me,  and  lovedst  them  even  as  thou 
lovedst  me." 

(3)  This  desire  for  the  world  to  know  is  the  ex- 
planation of  the  whole  process,  incarnation,  work, 
calling  and  sending  out  of  these  men.  The  world 
did  not  know  the  righteous  Father.    The  Son  knew 


The  Christ  God's  Missionary  Message  lOl 

Him.  Hence  He  must  come,  to  make  the  world 
know.  These  men  have  now  come  to  know.  They 
constitute  a  beginning  through  which  the  world  will 
know  "  the  name  "  of  God.  In  these  men  God's  love 
y^ill  abide.  In  them  the  Christ  Himself  will  con- 
tinue in  the  world.  With  this  passionate  prayer  for 
reaching  the  world  through  the  missionary  enterprise 
the  Lord  went  to  Gethsemane,  to  Calvary,  to  the 
Mount  of  Ascension.  We  should  ponder  carefully 
as  we  now  read  this  last  section  of  the  prayer. 

"  Neither  for  these  only  do  I  pray,  but  for  them 
also  that  believe  on  me  through  their  word;  that  they 
may  all  be  one ;  even  as  thou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and 
I  in  thee,  that  they  also  may  be  in  us :  that  the  world 
may  believe  that  thou  didst  send  me. 

"And  the  glory  which  thou  hast  given  unto  me 
I  have  given  unto  them ;  that  they  may  be  one,  even 
as  we  are  one ;  I  in  them  and  thou  in  me,  that  they 
may  be  perfected  into  one ;  that  the  world  may  know 
that  thou  didst  send  me,  and  lovedst  them,  even  as 
thou  lovedst  me. 

"Father,  that  (consummation)  which  thou  hast 
given  me  I  desire ;  that  where  I  am  they  also  may  be 
with  me,  that  they  may  behold  my  glory,  which  thou 
hast  given  me :  for  thou  lovedst  me  before  the  foun- 
dation of  the  world.    (See  margin  for  this  sentence.) 

"  O  righteous  Father,  the  world  did  not  know  thee, 
but  I  knew  thee;  and  these  knew  (came  to  know) 
that  thou  didst  send  me:  and  I  made  known  unto 
them  thy  name  {i.  e.,  true  nature),  and  will  make  it 
known ;  that  the  love  wherewith  thou  lovedst  me  may 
be  in  them,  and  I  in  them." 


102       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

Questions  for  Review  and  Reflection 

Give  the  substance  of  the  four  passages  cited  to 
show  God's  purpose  and  motive  in  Christ. 

What  is  the  significance  of  the  use  of  the  term 
**  Word  "  appHed  to  Jesus  ? 

Point  out  in  John's  Prologue  the  evidence  that  the 
Christ  is  for  all  the  world. 

Was  God's  attitude  changed  by  the  coming  of  the 
Christ  in  Jesus  ? 

What  influences  on  the  childhood  of  Jesus  would 
lead  Him  to  think  in  terms  of  the  whole  race  ? 

What  two  ideals  of  Messiah  and  the  Messianic 
Kingdom  are  found  in  the  Old  Testament  ? 

How  did  Jesus  show  His  spirit  of  universal  inter- 
est in  constructing  His  Messianic  idea  and  plan  ? 

What  were  the  names  which  Jesus  used  and  ac- 
cepted for  Himself  ?    What  do  they  teach  ? 

What  are  the  three  divisions  of  the  great  prayer  of 

Jesus  ? 

What  would  you  say  was  uppermost  in  His  heart 
in  that  prayer? 

What  relation  have  we  to  this  prayer? 


VI 

JESUS,  GOD'S  SON,  FOUNDS  THE 
MISSIONARY  ENTERPRISE 

I.    Jesus'  Work  Was  to  Begin  an  Enterprise. 

1.  Luke*s  Testimony. 

"  The  former  treatise  I  made,  O  Theophilus,  con- 
cerning all  that  Jesus  began  both  to  do  and  to  teach, 
until  the  day  in  which  he  was  received  up,  after 
that  he  had  given  commandment  through  the  Holy 
Spirit  unto  the  apostles  (missionaries)  whom  he 
had  chosen : ".  This  clause  with  which  Luke  opens 
Acts  is  left  without  having  its  counterpart  stated  in 
any  corresponding  terms.  His  thought  clearly  is: 
This  second  treatise  I  make  of  what  Jesus  continued 
to  do  through  His  followers  by  the  Power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  after  He  was  received  up.  Jesus  did  not 
win  the  world :  the  Christ  is  winning  the  world. 

2.  How  Jesus  Himself  emphasizes  this. 

(i)  In  the  Upper  Room  Talk,  the  night  of  the 
betrayal,  Jesus  said:  "The  words  that  I  say  unto 
you  I  speak  not  of  myself:  but  the  Father  abiding 
in  me  doeth  his  works.  Believe  me  that  I  am  in 
the  Father,  and  the  Father  in  me :  or  else  believe  me 
for  the  very  works'  sake.  Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto 
you,  he  that  believeth  on  me  the  works  that  I  do 
shall  he  do  also ;  and  greater  works  than  these  shall 
he  do;  because  I  go  unto  the  Father.  And  whatso- 
ever ye  shall  ask  in  my  name,  that  will  I  do,  that  the 
Father  may  be  glorified  in  the  Son.  If  you  love  me 
ye  will  keep  my  commandments  "  (John  14: 10-15). 

103 


104       '^^^  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

Is  it  not  clear  from  this  that  Jesus  regards  Himself 
as  the  channel  of  God  for  undertaking  a  divine  en- 
terprise; that  He  thinks  of  Himself  as  originating 
that  enterprise;  that  the  development  of  it,  the 
"  greater  works  "  of  it,  must  be  done  by  others ;  that 
love  for  Him  will  cause  these  others  to  guard  and 
to  put  into  effect  His  words,  meaning,  of  course,  His 
programme  and  enterprise;  that  He  will  be  able  to 
work  more  effectively  by  "going  unto  the  Father" 
and  meeting  all  the  needs  of  His  work  among  His 
followers,  as  they  carry  on  His  work  ? 

(2)  What  is  the  meaning  of  the  unlimited  promise 
to  supply  anything  His  believers,  and  loving  follow- 
ers may  ask  for  "  in  his  name  "  ? 

What  is  it  to  ask  in  His  name?  Surely  He  does 
not  encourage  any  thought  of  magical  power  in  the 
use  of  His  name.  It  must  be  equally  clear  that  He 
does  not  intend  to  suggest  that  God's  power  may  be 
made  subject  to  human  will  by  use  of  the  mere  name 
of  even  the  Son  of  God. 

They  are  to  do  business  in  His  name,  as  His  rep- 
resentatives, His  agents.  His  enterprise  is  to  be  ad- 
ministered and  extended,  developed  and  carried  on- 
ward by  them.  The  power  in  this  enterprise  has 
been  divine  power  and  must  continue  to  be  divine 
power. 

Through  prayer  Jesus  had  kept  Himself,  first  of 
all,  always  in  perfect  harmony  with  the  will  of  His 
heavenly  Father,  able  always  to  say :  "  He  that  sent 
me  is  with  me;  he  hath  not  left  me  alone;  for  I 
do  always  the  things  that  are  pleasing  to  him" 
(John  8:29). 


Jesus  Founds  the  Missionary  Enterprise    105 

His  food  was  to  do  the  will  of  Him  that  sent  Him 
and  to  accomplish  His  work  (John  4^34).  Being 
thus  always  about  His  Father's  business  He  had  in 
prayer  constantly  drawn  on  the  infinite  resources  of 
wisdom  and  authority  for  doing  His  work  of  found- 
ing this  enterprise  of  redemption.  Now  He  offers 
the  same  source  of  wisdom  and  power  to  His  fol- 
lowers, who  are  to  engage  in  the  same  enterprise. 
In  His  name  they  work,  as  His  representatives  they 
will  draw  on  the  infinite  resources  of  God  to  meet 
the  needs  of  the  work.  Is  it  not  very  easy  to  misin- 
terpret this  direction  of  the  Lord?  Is  it  possible  to 
be  unfaithful,  disloyal  and  selfish  in  the  discharge  of 
this  trust?  Will  the  prayer  drafts  of  Christians  for 
heavenly  resources  be  honoured  if  presented  for  any 
other  use  than  that  of  carrying  on  the  work  of  the 
Saviour?  Can  asking  in  His  name  properly  mean  • 
anything  else  than  that  as  His  agents,  doing  His  j 
work,  we  need  this  or  that  ? 

11.  The  Nature  of  the  Enterprise  Makes  It 
Missionary. 

I.  The  enterprise  of  Jesus  was  spiritual,  ethical, 
redemptive. 

His  kingdom  was  "  the  kingdom  of  God,"  "  the 
kingdom  of  heaven."  Luke  uses  the  first  term  be- 
cause he  is  writing  for  the  Greek-reading,  Greek- 
thinking  world  for  whom  "  God  "  was  the  supreme 
term  to  express  the  ideas  of  spirituality  and  morality. 
Jews  thought  of  the  term  "  God  "  in  an  exalted  per- 
sonal sense  and  did  not  sufficiently  feel  the  demand 
of  God  that  worship  of  Him  Involved  likeness  to 


lo6       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

Him;  they  did  not  appreciate  the  need  of  making 
earth  heavenly;  they  did  not  imderstand  that  the 
kingdom  God  planned  on  earth  was  like  unto  the 
kingdom  in  heaven — was  indeed  part  of  that  king- 
dom. With  a  conception  of  God  that  exalted  Him 
too  much  out  of  relation  to  the  common  life  of  man, 
they  used  His  name  with  reserve  and  usually  sub- 
stituted some  other  term.  One  of  the  most  frequent 
terms  was  "  heaven  "  or,  "  the  heavens."  For  these 
somewhat  complex  reasons  Matthew,  who  wrote 
first  of  all  for  Jews,  speaks  constantly  of  "  the  king- 
dom of  heaven."  Jesus  Himself  probably  employed 
both  terms  at  will,  but  would  use  the  designation 
*'  kingdom  of  heaven  "  usually.  At  all  events  this 
was  the  great  theme  of  all  His  preaching  and  teach- 
ing, and  He  was  ever  emphasizing  its  spiritual  and 
ethical  qualities.  One  could  get  into  it  and  share  its 
glories  only  if  made  fit  for  it  in  character,  in  ideals, 
in  conduct.  No  formal,  ceremonial,  racial,  ancestral 
claim  was  of  any  account.  Not  even  the  use  of  the 
name  of  Jesus  to  work  miracles  of  healing  and  help- 
fulness would  mark  one  as  a  member  of  this  king- 
dom unless  he  did  the  will  of  the  Father  who  is  in 
heaven  (see  Matt.  7:  15-27,  especially  21-23).  The 
standard  of  personal  morals  and  of  social  ethics  for 
the  kingdom  He  preached  was  the  perfection  of  God 
(Matt.  5:48).  Not  that  any  man  could  presently 
attain  to  that  perfection,  but  that  men  must  set  be- 
fore themselves  the  character  and  behaviour  of  God 
as  an  ideal  and  must  earnestly  seek  to  be,  in  their  own 
behaviour,  "  sons  of  the  Father  who  is  in  heaven." 
It  was  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven  that  Jesus  was 


Jesus  Founds  the  Missionary  Enterprise    107 

ever  inviting  and  persuading  men,  not  heaven  itself, 
some  distant  realm  to  be  reached  in  another  life. 
The  kingdom  of  God  was  not  to  be  sought  here,  there 
or  yonder.  "  Being  asked  by  the  Pharisees,  when 
the  kingdom  of  God  cometh,  he  answered  them  and 
said.  The  kingdom  of  God  cometh  not  with  obser- 
vation; neither  shall  they  say,  Lo,  here!  or,  There! 
for  lo,  the  kingdom  of  God  is  within  you"  (Luke 
17:  20-21). 

2.     The  worship  taught  by  Jesus  involves  this. 

Even  in  its  worship  it  is  not  a  question  of  holy 
place,  or  sacred  season.  With  Jesus  came  the 
hour  when  neither  in  the  Samaritan's  sacred  moun- 
tain of  Gerizim,  nor  in  the  holy  Hebrew  city  of 
Jerusalem  should  men  in  any  peculiar  sense  wor- 
ship the  Father.  "  But  the  hour  cometh,  and  now  is, 
when  the  true  worshippers  shall  worship  the  Father 
in  spirit  and  truth,  for  such  doth  the  Father  seek  to 
be  his  worshippers.  God  is  a  Spirit:  and  they  that 
worship  him  must  worship  in  spirit  and  truth " 
(John  4: 21-24). 

The  repeated  suggestion  of  Jesus  that  worship  of 
God  was  to  be  the  worship  of  a  divine  Father  was 
largely  new,  practically  entirely  new,  even  among 
Samaritans  and  Jews  in  His  day.  It  would  be 
wholly  new  to  far  more  than  half  the  world  to-day. 
What  implications  as  to  the  character  of  worship 
and  the  character  of  worshippers  does  this  Idea  of 
worshipping  a  divine  Father  imply  ? 

Again,  Jesus  says  the  Father  Is  seeking  for  wor- 
shippers. Does  that  not  introduce  the  very  deepest 
idea  of  missions  Into  our  conception  of  God?    Again, 


lo8       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

if  both  Jerusalem  and  Samaria,  the  two  national 
centers  of  worship  of  Jehovah,  the  holy  places  of  the 
only  two  monotheistic  religions  in  the  world  were  to 
lose  their  significance,  because  place  worship  and 
form  worship  were  to  pass  away,  would  that  not 
necessarily  make  true  worship  a  matter  of  direct  re- 
lation to  God  of  any  soul,  anywhere?  And  if  be- 
cause God  is  Spirit  acceptable  worship  must  be  "  in 
spirit  and  in  truth  "  is  not  the  religion  of  Jesus  at 
once  proclaimed  as  being  imiversal  in  ideal  and  as 
demanding  that  character — "  truth  " — shall  corre- 
spond to  soul  harmony  with  the  God  who  is  wor- 
shipped? When  Jesus  made  this  declaration  in  a 
Samaritan  region,  to  a  sinful  woman,  was  He  not 
then  and  there  announcing  that  He  was  inaugurating 
the  enterprise  of  true  worship  for  all  men  ? 

3.     The  idea  of  atonement  confirms  this. 

The  aim  of  the  enterprise  of  Christianity  is  to 
make  good  men  on  the  basis  of  their  worship  of  a 
spiritual  Father-God.  But  Jesus  never  lost  sight  of 
the  fact  that  good  men  must  be  men  made  good. 
And  their  making  must  be  at  a  great  price.  His  en- 
terprise must  be  a  redeeming  enterprise.  The  best 
men  of  His  day,  by  the  standards  of  the  best  religion 
of  His  day,  never  agreed  with  Him.  His  breach 
with  them  was  widening  always  into  a  great  gulf,  for 
the  reason  that  spiritual  worship,  calling  for  truth  in 
the  worshippers,  made  no  appeal  to  the  self-righteous 
leaders  and  guardians  of  the  accepted  religion  of  the 
day.  Publicans  and  harlots  entered  the  kingdom  at 
the  call  of  Jesus  while  Pharisees  and  Scribes  de- 
nounced and  opposed,  because,  said  Jesus :  "  John 


Jesus  Founds  the  Missionary  Enterprise    109 

came  iinto  you  in  the  way  of  righteousness,  and  ye 
beheved  him  not;  but  the  publicans  and  the  harlots 
believed  him;  and  ye,  when  ye  saw  it,  did  not  even 
repent  yourselves  afterward,  that  ye  might  believe 
him"  (see  Matt.  21:31-32).  Only  through  the 
double  door  of  repentance  and  faith  could  men  enter 
the  kingdom,  but  that  door  was  open  for  all.  He 
knew  the  need  of  men  and  "  the  Son  of  man  came  to 
seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost"  (Luke 
19 :  10)  ;  "  came  to  minister,  and  to  give  his  life  a 
ransom  for  many"  (Matt.  20:28);  came  that  His 
blood  might  be  "  poured  out  for  many  unto  remis- 
sion of  sins"  (Matt.  26:28),  thus  entering  into  "a 
new  covenant  in  his  blood"  with  the  human  race. 
For  "  He  is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins ;  and  not 
for  ours  only,  but  also  for  the  whole  world  "  (i  John 
2:2).  He  knows  that  He  will  glorify  His  Father  in 
His  death  because  He  is  convinced  of  Himself  that 
"I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all 
men  unto  myself"  (John  12:28,  32).  Is  there  not 
meaning  in  the  fact  that  these  words  of  Jesus  were 
prompted  by  Greeks  coming  to  meet  Him  in  the 
Temple  court  at  Jerusalem,  on  the  last  day  of  His 
appearance  ? 

in.  The  Motives  of  Jesus  in  Founding  the 
Christian,  the  Missionary,  Enterprise  Are 
Two,  TO  Glorify  God,  and  to  Save  Men. 

A  lost  world  is  a  hurt  to  God,  a  sinful  world  a 
breach  in  the  reign  of  the  Father.  Lost  men  are  a 
burden  that  love  cannot  bear  while  any  possible  ef- 
fort is  untried  to  redeem  them.    These  two  passions, 


no       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

for  God  and  for  men,  we  see  at  every  turn  in  the  hfe 
of  Jesus.  He  is  always  the  true  Son  of  God,  always 
the  full  Son  of  Man.  From  God  He  comes  to  man 
to  call  him  to  honour  His  Father;  from  distressed 
man  He  goes  to  pray  to  the  Father.  A  stressful  day 
with  the  multitudes  of  needy  men  is  followed  by  a 
night  of  prayer  in  the  solitary  mountain;  a  night 
with  the  Father  in  the  Mount  of  Transfiguration 
sends  Him  down  to  strenuous  struggle  with  demon- 
ridden  men  who  need  faith  and  prayer  to  draw 
them  out  of  the  ruin  of  their  perversity  (see  Luke 
9:28-43;  John  6:15). 

I.    Passion  for  the  glory  of  God. 

Jesus  had  read  in  His  Isaiah,  and  applied  to  Him- 
self and  His  mission :  "  Thou  art  my  servant.  Prince 
of  God,  in  whom  I  will  be  glorified"  (49:5)  ;  and, 
"  I  know  their  works  and  their  thoughts :  it  shall 
come  to  pass  that  I  will  gather  all  nations  and 
tongues:  and  they  shall  see  my  glory"  (66:  18). 

In  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  Jesus  calls  upon  all 
men  of  the  kingdom  to  let  their  lights  shine  before 
men  like  that  of  a  city  set  upon  a  hill  so  that  it  cannot 
be  hid,  or  like  a  lamp  upon  a  lamp-stand  in  order 
"  that  men  may  see  your  good  works  and  glorify 
your  Father  who  is  in  heaven"  (Matt.  5 :  13-16). 

When,  in  the  same  Sermon  He  teaches  prayer,  the 
first  petition  is :  "  May  thy  name  be  held  holy " 
(6:9). 

In  assuring  His  followers  that  whatever  they  may 
ask  in  His  name  He  will  do  it,  it  is  in  order  that  His 
"Father  may  be  glorified  in  his  Son"  (John 
14:  13).     He  urges  them  to  faithfulness  and  effect- 


Jesus  Founds  the  Missionary  Enterprise    in 

iveness,  because  "  herein  is  my  Father  glorified,  that 
ye  bear  much  fruit  "  (John  15  :  8).  Facing  the  fact 
of  rejection  and  crucifixion,  on  His  last  appearance 
as  Teacher  in  the  Temple,  realizing  that  all  who 
would  serve  Him  must  follow  Him  in  suffering  and 
sacrificing,  Jesus  cries  out,  "  Now  is  my  soul  trou- 
bled; and  what  shall  I  say?  Father,  save  me  from 
this  hour?  But  for  this  cause  came  I  unto  this 
hour.  Father,  glorify  thy  name.  There  came 
therefore  a  voice  out  of  heaven,  saying,  I  have  both 
glorified  it,  and  will  glorify  it  again  "  (John  12 :  26- 
28). 

All  through  the  eventful  evening  in  the  Upper 
Room,  when  the  end  had  come,  recurring  again  and 
again  the  thought  runs  of  glorifying  His  Father 
through  death,  through  suffering,  through  His  fol- 
lowers, through  His  enterprise.  When  Judas  left  the 
room  and  the  tragedy  must  soon  follow  Jesus  spoke 
of  it  in  this  way :  "  Now  is  the  Son  of  Man  glorified, 
and  God  is  glorified  in  him;  and  God  shall  glorify 
him  in  himself,  and  straightway  shall  he  glorify 
him"  (John  13:  32).  In  the  prayer  with  which  the 
interview  (chap.  17),  and  His  work,  ended  He 
keeps  to  this  thought  all  the  way  through.  He 
begins,  "  Father,  the  hour  is  come ;  glorify  thy  Son, 
that  the  Son  may  glorify  thee"  (v.  i).  Then,  "I 
glorified  thee  on  the  earth,  having  accomplished  the 
work  which  thou  hast  given  me  to  do  "  (v.  4).  He 
was  glorified  in  what  belonged  to  His  Father,  espe- 
cially in  these  men  whom  God  had  given  Him  (v.  10). 
He  desires  all  His  people  to  share  the  glory  of  His 
Father  which  had  been  given  to  Him  and  would  be 


112       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

restored  to  Him  (v.  24).  Jesus  longed  to  see  all 
men  honouring  His  God  and  Father  as  their  Father 
and  God  also. 

2.  The  compassionate  yearning  for  lost  men 
was  the  counterpart  in  the  heart  of  Jesus  to  His 
jealousy  for  the  rights,  the  honour  and  the  worship 
of  His  Father.  He  had  come  that  men  "  might  have 
life,  and  have  it  abundantly"  (John  10: 10).  How 
earnestly  and  with  what  strong  pleading  did  He  con- 
stantly present  Himself  as  the  light,  the  life,  the 
water  of  life,  the  way,  the  truth ! 

Matthew  gives  us  a  picture  of  Jesus  in  His  rela- 
tion to  the  need  of  men  that  reveals  the  depth  of  His 
soul  (9:35-10:8).  The  first  verses  of  the  para- 
graph present  a  vivid  glimpse  of  the  wonderfully  ex- 
tensive work  of  Jesus  as  He  "  went  about  all  the 
villages,  teaching  in  their  synagogues,  and  preaching 
the  glad  tidings  of  the  kingdom,  and  healing  all  man- 
ner of  disease  and  all  manner  of  sickness."  Yet 
was  the  need  far  beyond  even  His  powers.  And 
these  crowds  in  Galilee  were  but  typical  of  multi- 
tudes not  only  in  all  Palestine,  but  in  all  lands. 
"  When  he  saw  the  multitudes,  he  was  moved  with 
compassion  for  them,  because  they  were  distressed 
and  scattered,  as  sheep  not  having  a  shepherd."  He 
saw  them  not  as  a  mass,  conglomerate  and  undefined, 
but  as  multitudes  (note  the  plural),  multitudes  of 
individual  personalities,  each  needing  God  and  re- 
demption, and  guidance  and  strength.  He  turned  to 
His  disciples  and  spoke  of  the  multitudes  as  of  a 
harvest,  plenteous  indeed,  but  with  few  labourers  to 
gather   in   its   golden   worth.     He   urged  them   to 


Jesus  Founds  the  Missionary  Enterprise    1 13 

prayer  to  "the  Lord  of  the  harvest,  that  he  thrust 
forth  labourers  into  his  harvest."  Then  the  Master 
selects  a  dozen  men,  after  a  full  night  in  prayerful 
meditation  over  their  selection,  to  help  Him  in  reach- 
ing these  needy  multitudes.  He  chose  them  indeed 
to  be  the  file-leaders  and  founders  in  an  enterprise 
through  which  the  ministry  of  human  compassion 
should  bring  glad  tidings  to  the  weary  and  distressed 
the  world  over. 


IV.    The  Method  of  Jesus  Requires  Missions. 

The  method  of  the  enterprise  of  Jesus  was  char- 
acterized by  the  wisdom  of  the  utmost  simplicity. 
It  was  a  great  undertaking.  Humanity  must  be 
made  over,  recreated.  He  would  impart  the  life  He 
came  to  give  to  such  men  as  He  might;  and  they 
would  extend  it  to  others  by  contagion  and  by  attrac- 
tion, by  energetic  proclamation  and  by  resistless  spir- 
itual conquest.  Such  was  the  method  He  found  out- 
lined, as  we  have  seen,  in  His  Hebrew  Bible.  Such 
was  the  method  suggested  by  the  nature  of  the  human 
soul  and  by  the  experience  of  human  history.  Such 
was  the  plan  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  with  whom  always 
He  worked.  He  went  about  winning  the  men  whom 
the  Father  had  "  given  him  out  of  the  world."  He 
went  about  the  work  of  making  them  know  whence 
and  why  He  came.  He  would  make  them  under- 
stand that  all  things  whatsoever  God  had  given  His 
Son  were  really  from  God.  The  words  which  were 
given  Him  He  gave  to  them  and  caused  them  to 
know  them  until  they  really,  vitally  knew  that  He 
had  come  from  God  and  had  come  because  sent  of 
God  (see  John  17:  6-8). 


114       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

By  this  process  He  separated  these  men  from  the 
world  and  made  them  in  a  very  special  sense  His 
and  God's.  Now  that  they  no  longer  belonged  to  the 
world  but  belonged  to  God  and  to  His  Christ  He 
would  do  with  them  just  what  God  had  done  with 
His  "  only  begotten  Son  " :  He  would  give  them  to 
the  world  which  He  so  loved  that  nothing  could  be 
held  back  in  the  effort  to  save  it.  By  means  of  re- 
deemed, dedicated  men  He  would  go  on  giving  the 
world  a  compelling  opportunity  to  believe  in  Him 
and  have  everlasting  Hfe.  This  is  Missions.  This  is 
"  the  divine  enterprise  of  Missions." 

'V.  Critical  Teachings  of  Jesus  Emphasize 
THIS  Purpose. 

A  series  of  self -revealing  incidents  in  the  experi- 
ences of  Jesus  emphasize  this  missionary  programme 
of  His.  Among  them  are  those  several  occasions 
when  He  gave  the  universal  commission  in  its  vari- 
ous forms.  A  brief  study  of  some  of  these  inci- 
dents is  all  that  can  be  crowded  into  this  study. 

I.     His  burden  of  responsibility  for  all  men. 

It  was  when  He  turned  away  from  the  tremendous, 
but  superficial  popularity  in  Galilee,  that  marked 
the  end  of  His  second  year  of  ministry  there,  that 
Jesus  stood  in  sober  soliloquy  and  faced  the  failure 
to  win  the  multitudes  to  any  true  spiritual  insight 
and  to  any  profoundly  religious,  ethical  life.  Not 
that  He  was  surprised  or  deceived.  He  was  simply 
facing  the  fact  that  most  men  were  too  sinful  and 
too  shallow  to  understand  God  and  accept  Him. 
There  were  some  with  the  frank  simplicity  of  chil- 


Jesus  Founds  the  Missionary  Enterprise     115 

dren  who  saw  and  accepted.  For  them  Jesus  thanks 
His  Father  and  accepts  the  plan  of  the  Father,  for  so 
it  was  well-pleasing  in  His  sight  (see  the  passage  in 
Matt.  11:25-30). 

Yet  the  terrible  weight  of  the  moral  burden  of  the 
shallow,  lost  world  presses  upon  Him.  He  speaks  in 
deep  sighs  of  His  responsibility :  "  All  things  have 
been  committed  unto  me  of  my  Father;  and  no  one 
knoweth  the  Son,  save  the  Father;  neither  doth  any 
know  the  Father,  save  the  Son,  and  he  to  whomso- 
ever the  Son  willeth  (is  willing)  to  reveal  him." 
The  loneliness,  the  isolation,  the  infinite  responsibil- 
ity of  His  position  were  almost  more  than  He  could 
bear.  To  be  in  a  world  that  must  know  God  or  be 
forever  lost,  to  have  lived  for  them  and  laboured 
with  them  as  He  had  done  for  two  and  a  half  years, 
and  as  only  He  could  live  and  labour;  then  to  know 
that  not  a  man  in  all  the  world  as  yet  really  knew 
God  or  at  all  adequately  understood  Him  as  sent  by 
God;  truly  here  was  a  burden  no  merely  human 
heart  could  feel,  or  feeling  could  bear.  None  of  all 
this  world  could  know  His  Father  unless  He,  the  Son 
of  God,  was  willing  to  make  Him  known.  Yes,  He 
would  do  it,  at  any  price  He  would  do  it.  At  once 
He  turns  His  face  and  His  heart  out  toward  the  lost 
world  and  calls :  "  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labour 
and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest." 

2.     His  Church  and  the  keys  of  the  Kingdom. 

It  was  not  long  after  this,  two  or  three  months,  it 
may  be,  when  He  asked  His  disciples  what  men 
thought  of  Him  (see  Matt.  16: 13-20).  He  went  on 
to  ask  what  they  themselves  had  found  Him  to  be. 


Il6       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

Peter  declared  the  definite  conviction  that  Jesus  was 
"  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God."  Peter  knew 
now  what  Jesus  had  a  while  before  been  lamenting, 
that  no  one  knew.  It  stirred  Jesus  profoundly  to 
have  this  confession  of  insight  imparted  by  the  re- 
vealing God  in  the  gradual  discovery  of  Peter  and  of 
the  rest.  Here  in  this  man  with  this  experience  was 
a  "  living  stone  "  that  could  be  built  upon  the  foun- 
dation of  divine  experience  in  men  into  the  Church 
of  the  living  God,  the  new  order  of  life  among  men. 
Jesus  felt  that  now  His  work  had  a  permanent  root- 
ing in  human  nature.  Now  He  felt  that  success  was 
assured.  As  Paul  would  later  express  it:  "If  any 
man  is  in  Christ  Jesus — any  individual — there  is  a 
new  creation,"  the  race  can  be  remade  (see  2  Cor. 
5:17  margin).  From  this  several  things  follow: 
(i)  Jesus  will  now  be  able  to  build  His  permanent 
work  in  the  world.  On  this  basal  fact  of  God  reveal- 
ing Jesus  as  His  Christ  in  a  man  and  making  him  a 
new  man,  on  this  as  a  foundation  rock  He  will  build 
this  Church  with  such  living  stones  as  Peter  (see  i 
Pet.  2:5),  and  the  power  of  the  world  of  the  de- 
parted shall  not  prevail  against  it.  (2)  To  such  as 
Peter  Jesus  will  give  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.  They  have  in  their  knowledge  and  experi- 
ence of  Him  the  Gospel  that  can  save  the  world. 
They  must  now  share  with  Him  the  responsibility 
for  the  world  bound  in  sin,  ignorance  and  death. 
Whatever  they  shall  bind  on  earth  shall  be  bound  in 
heaven  and  whatever  they  shall  loose  shall  be  loosed 
in  heaven.  (3)  As  the  Son  of  God  Jesus  will  now 
go  on  to  Jerusalem  and  complete  His  work  in  death 


Jesus  Founds  the  Missionary  Enterprise    1 17 

and  resurrection.  To  be  sure  Peter  and  his  fellow- 
apostles  are  not  yet  ready  for  this  idea.  Jesus  will 
teach  it  to  them  in  the  months  that  lie  ahead  before 
the  climax.  They  are  not  prepared  to  speak  of  Him 
as  the  Christ  until  they  learn  the  place  of  His  suf- 
ferings in  His  atonement.  But  the  foundation  is 
laid.  He  can  feel  secure  now.  His  world  mission 
will  succeed. 

3.    Responsibility  and  resources  of  His  followers. 

A  little  later,  in  connection  with  the  answer  to  a 
question  of  His  disciples  about  greatness  in  His  king- 
dom He  said  (Matt.  18:  18-20)  :  "  Verily  I  say  unto 
you,  What  things  soever  ye  shall  bind  on  earth  shall 
be  bound  in  heaven ;  and  what  things  soever  ye  shall 
loose  on  earth  shall  be  loosed  in  heaven."  With  such 
awful  responsibility  placed  upon  His  followers  Je^us 
relieves  the  burden  by  adding :  "  Again  I  say  unto 
you,  that  if  two  of  you  shall  agree  in  earth  as  touch- 
ing anything  that  they  shall  ask,  it  shall  be  brought 
to  pass  for  them  of  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven: 
for  where  two  or  three  are  gathered  together  in  my 
name,  there  am  I  in  the  midst  of  them."  Jesus  here 
contemplates  carrying  on  His  work  through  men 
who  represent  Him.  With  their  great  responsibility 
they  will  come  together  representing  Him,  and  He 
will  meet  with  them.  This  responsibility  will  be 
shared  by  all  believers  and  the  Holy  Spirit.  The 
work  of  the  Spirit  we  shall  study  in  Chapter  VH. 

VI.    The  Great  Commissions. 
The    founding   of   the   missionary   enterprise   by 
Jesus  was  the  work  of  His  entire  life  and  of  all  His 


ll8       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

ministry.  He  never  tried  to  see  how  many  converts 
He  could  win.  He  aimed  rather  at  inaugurating  a 
movement,  freeing  a  force,  projecting  a  type  of  Hfe 
that  would  grow  and  increase  and  fill  the  earth.  He 
reached  the  climax  of  this  purpose  in  the  various 
forms  of  the  Great  Commission  which  He  gave  after 
His  resurrection.  Whenever  He  met  His  disciples 
during  the  forty  days,  and  when  He  appeared  to 
some  of  them  in  visions  after  the  ascension  He  was 
talking  to  them  of  His  great  enterprise,  of  which  He 
made  them  the  agents  and  witnesses.  We  will  look 
briefly  at  these  commissions. 

I.  The  first  one  was  on  the  evening  of  the  day 
He  arose  from  the  grave. 

There  are  two  accounts  of  it ;  a  brief  one  in  John 
20 :  19-23,  and  a  somewhat  fuller  one  in  Luke 
24 :  36-49.  ^  A  group  of  disciples  were  together,  prob- 
ably in  the  same  upper  room  where  the  Twelve  had 
met  with  Him  before  the  betrayal.  Ten  of  the 
twelve  were  now  present  in  the  group.  Several  re- 
ports had  been  made  of  His  having  been  seen.  Peter 
had  seen  Him  and  while  the  excitement  over  this  was 
on  the  two  who  had  walked  and  talked  with  Him  on 
the  road  to  Emmaus  (Luke  24: 13-34)  returned  and 
were  just  telling  their  wonderful  story  when  Jesus 
Himself  appeared  in  their  midst.  He  spoke 
"  Peace  "  to  them,  showed  them  His  hands  and  side, 
talked  with  them  and  ate  before  them  until  they  were 
convinced  and  calmed.  He  then  said :  "  Peace  he 
unto  you :  as  the  Father  hath  sent  me,  even  so  send  I 
you."  This  is  His  first  resurrection  message  to  these 
believers.     He  then  breathed  upon  them  and  said: 


Jesus  Founds  the  Missionary  Enterprise    1 19 

"  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Spirit,"  or,  as  Luke  expresses 
it,  "  He  opened  their  mind,  that  they  might  under- 
stand the  Scriptures,"  while  He  convinced  them  that 
His  experiences  were  such  as  He  had  told  them  of, 
such  as  were  "  written  of  him  in  the  law  of  Moses, 
and  the  prophets  and  the  psalms."  No  doubt  He 
showed  them  from  the  very  scriptures,  with  detailed 
explanations,  emphasized  by  the  pierced  hands  that 
handled  the  scrolls  of  the  writings.  Through  the 
fleeting  hours  of  this  thrilling  night  He  taught  them. 
At  length  He  paused  and  said :  "  Thus  it  is  written, 
that  the  Christ  should  suffer,  and  rise  again  from  the 
dead  the  third  day;  and  that  repentance  and  remis- 
sion of  sins  should  be  preached  in  his  name  unto  all 
the  nations,  beginning  from  Jerusalem.  Ye  are  wit- 
nesses of  these  things ;  whose  soever  sins  ye  forgive, 
they  are  forgiven  unto  them;  whose  soever  sins  ye 
retain  they  are  retained"  (this  last  clause  inserted 
from  John  20:  23).  "  And  behold,  I  send  forth  the 
promise  of  my  Father  upon  you :  but  tarry  ye  in  the 
city,  until  ye  be  clothed  with  power  from  on  high." 
Thus  He  most  impressively  and  solemnly  takes  them 
into  the  responsibility  and  work  which  He  bore  in 
the  world. 

2.  Some  two  or  three  weeks  later,  having  sent 
messages  on  before.  He  met  a  group  of  more  than 
five  hundred  on  the  mountain  in  Galilee  (i  Cor.  15  :  6 
in  connection  with  Matt.  28:16-20).  The  eleven 
apostles  were  in  this  group  when  "Jesus  came  to 
them  and  spake  unto  them,  saying,  All  authority 
hath  been  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  on  earth." 
Recall    His    soliloquy    in    Matthew    11    when    He 


120       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

seemed  to  be  bearing  all  this  quite  alone.  Now  He 
takes  all  these  disciples  into  the  responsibility  with 
Him,  commanding  them :  "  Go  ye  therefore,  and 
make  disciples  of  all  the  nations,  baptizing  them  into 
the  name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the 
Holy  Spirit:  teaching  them  to  observe  all  things 
whatsoever  I  have  commanded  you;  and  lo,  I  am 
with  you  all  the  days  unto  the  consummation  of  the 
age"  (margin).  Thus  He  came  to  a  clear  statement 
of  the  method  by  which  His  age  plan  is  to  be  com- 
pleted. He  will  continue  His  presence  and  work  in 
the  world  by  spiritual  association  with  His  workers 
as  they  make  disciples  of  all  nations. 

3.  Besides  a  personal  commission  to  Peter  (John 
2i:i5ff.)>  at  the  time  of  the  ascension  the  Lord 
again  lays  His  world  enterprise  on  His  followers. 
This  time  there  are  a  hundred  and  twenty  of  them. 
They  have  returned  to  Jerusalem,  because  He  has 
told  them  that  there  their  work  must  begin.  We  get 
the  story  of  this  final  commission  only  in  Acts 
1:6-11  (and  see  v.  15).  When  He  met  them  on 
this  occassion  they  sought  to  know  from  Him 
whether  the  kingdom  was  to  be  restored  to  Israel  at 
this  time.  They  had  learned  to  put  that  in  second 
place,  at  least  when  talking  with  Him.  Now  He 
tells  them  to  leave  that  question  wholly  alone,  for 
the  Father  to  attend  to.  They  have  now  one,  single 
great  responsibility :  "  But  ye  shall  receive  power, 
when  the  Holy  Spirit  is  come  upon  you:  and  ye 
shall  be  my  witnesses  both  in  Jerusalem,  and  in  all 
Judea  and  Samaria,  and  unto  the  uttermost  part  of 
the  earth." 


Jesus  Founds  the  Missionary  Enterprise    121 

His  work  was  done.  His  enterprise  was  begun, 
and  was  in  the  hands,  and  in  the  hearts,  of  these  one 
hundred  and  twenty  men  and  women ;  to  pass  from 
them  to  the  hands  and  hearts  of  all  who  should  come 
to  know  the  power  of  this  Saviour,  and  who  in  their 
turn  must  become  His  missionaries.  **And  when  he 
had  said  these  things,  as  they  were  looking,  he  was 
taken  up;  and  a  cloud  received  him  out  of  their 
sight."  ''And  they  worshipped  him,  and  returned 
to  Jerusalem  with  great  joy:  and  were  continually  in 
the  temple,  blessing  God"  (Luke  24:  52). 


Questions  for  Review  and  Reflection 

What  was  the  greatest  work  of  Jesus?  Was  it 
what  He  did  or  what  He  began? 

In  what  sense  do  believers  in  Jesus  do  greater 
works  than  He? 

By  what  means  can  believers  do  this  greater  work  ? 

What  is  the  nature  of  the  kingdom  Jesus  preached 
and  founded? 

How  does  Jesus'  teaching  concerning  worship  in- 
volve a  universal  gospel? 

Why  does  Jesus  die,  according  to  His  teaching? 

What  were  the  two  controlling  motives  of  Jesus  in 
His  work? 

How  did  the  crowds  affect  Jesus? 
What  In  the  method  of  Jesus  teaches  missions  ? 
Trace  the  three  steps  in  missionary  progress  in  the 
self-revealing  speeches  of  Jesus,  under  V. 

How  many  commissions  did  Jesus  give  after  His 
resurrection  ? 

Give  the  circumstances  and  content  of  each. 


VII 

ACTS  THE  GOSPEL  OF  THE  MISSIONARY 
POWER 

I.  The  Holy  Spirit  in  the  Life  and  Plan  of 
Jesus. 

I.  His  dependence  on  the  Spirit  for  the  success 
of  His  mission. 

"Ye  shall  receive  power,  when  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
come  upon  you;  and  ye  shall  be  my  witnesses" 
(Acts  i:8).  "Ye  are  witnesses  of  these  things. 
And  behold,  I  send  forth  the  promise  of  my  Father 
upon  you :  but  tarry  ye  in  the  city  until  ye  be  clothed 
with  power  from  on  high"  (Luke  24:48^).  We 
have,  in  Chapter  VI,  studied  Jesus  inaugurating  the 
missionary  enterprise.  He  accounted  Himself  as 
only  making  a  beginning,  a  very  secure  and  powerful 
beginning,  but  still  only  a  beginning.  For  the  con- 
tinuance and  perfecting  of  His  work  He  depended 
upon  two  forces — two  that  were  to  cooperate  as  if 
one  force.  He  would  depend  upon  renewed  men, 
impelled  to  the  work  of  redeeming  men  by  the  prin- 
ciple of  the  life  that  had  arisen  in  them;  and  upon 
the  Holy  Spirit,  coming  upon  these  renewed  and 
consecrated  men  with  a  wisdom,  an  energy,  and  a 
convincing  might  that  would  be  resistless. 

In  His  own  person  men  had  "  both  seen  and  hated 
both  Jesus  and  his  Father."  This  had  been  foreseen 
and    predicted    in    two    psalms    (25:19,    69:41). 

122 


Acts  the  Gospel  of  the  Missionary  Power  123 

"  They  hated  me  without  a  cause."  "  But,"  Jesus 
proceeds  to  indicate  that  He  does  not  give  up  and  that 
there  is  an  even  more  effective  method  of  appeal  than 
that  of  His  own  person,  "  But  when  the  Paraclete  is 
come,  whom  I  will  send  unto  you  from  the  Father, 
the  Spirit  of  truth  who  proceedeth  from  the  Father, 
he  shall  bear  witness  of  me ;  and  ye  also  bear  witness, 
because  ye  have  been  with  me  from  the  beginning" 
(John  15 :  24-27),  Does  not  Jesus  mean  to  say  that 
the  united  testimony  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  of  men 
who  had  knowledge  of  Him  through  personal  ex- 
perience would  be  more  successful  in  convincing  and 
saving  men  than  the  personal  presence  of  Jesus  had 
proved  ? 

2.  His  great  dependence  on  His  followers  insepa- 
rably connected  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 

We  have  seen  at  length  how  much,  and  how  fully, 
Jesus  counted  on  His  believing  followers  to  make  His 
incarnation  a  success  in  human  life.  The  intimacy 
and  the  extent  of  this  dependence  He  expressed  in 
the  illustration  of  the  vine  and  the  branches  (John 
14: 10-16)  :  "  I  am  the  true  vine,  and  my  Father  is 
the  husbandman ; "  "I  am  the  vine,  ye  are  the 
branches.  He  that  abideth  in  me,  and  I  in  him,  the 
same  beareth  much  fruit :  for  apart  from  me  ye  can 
do  nothing ;  "  "  Herein  is  my  Father  glorified,  that  ye 
bear  much  fruit,  and  ye  shall  be  disciples  of  me,"  i.  e., 
learning  from  me  how  to  bear  fruit ;  "  These  things 
have  I  spoken  unto  you  that  my  Joy  may  be  in  you, 
and  your  joy  may  be  made  full,"  their  fruit-bearing 
rejoicing  both  the  Lord  and  His  servants ;  "  I  have 
called  you  friends;  for  all  things  that  I  heard  from 


124       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

my  Father  I  have  made  known  unto  you,  ...  I 
chose  you,  and  appointed  you,  that  ye  should  go  and 
bear  fruit,  and  that  your  fruit  should  abide :  that 
whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  of  the  Father  in  my  name, 
he  may  give  it  you."  In  these  expressions  Jesus  de- 
clares as  strongly  as  possible  that  He  is  seeking  to 
build  up  in  His  followers  such  faithful  and  true  rep- 
resentatives of  Himself  as  will  enable  God  to  take 
them  as  His  very  self,  extended  in  them,  and  to  work 
through  them  as  completely  as,  and  more  extensively 
than,  through  Jesus  Himself. 

3.  His  eagerness  to  commit  the  work  to  the  Spirit 
and  His  followers. 

With  something  akin  to  eagerness  Jesus  seems  to 
look  forward  to  this  consummation  of  His  own  la- 
bours and  to  this  new  form  of  working  through 
others.  Within  the  latter  months  of  His  ministry  He 
one  day  exclaimed,  and  it  was  just  after  His  parable 
of  faithful  and  unfaithful  stewardship :  "  I  came  to 
cast  a  fire  upon  the  earth;  and  how  I  would  that  it 
were  already  kindled!  But  I  have  a  baptism  to  be 
baptized  with :  and  how  I  am  straitened  till  it  be  ac- 
complished!" (Luke  12:49-50,  of  margin).  So  in 
His  Upper  Room  talk  with  the  Twelve,  in  which  Je- 
sus most  fully  sets  forth  "the  promise  of  his  Fa- 
ther "  to  send  the  Holy  Spirit,  He  says :  "  Ye  heard 
how  I  said  to  you,  I  go  away,  and  I  come  unto  you. 
If  you  loved  me  ye  would  have  rejoiced,  because  I  go 
unto  the  Father :  for  the  Father  is  greater  than  I " 
'(John  14:28).  A  little  later  In  the  talk  He  says: 
"  Now  I  go  unto  him  that  sent  me ;  and  none  of  you 
asketh  me,  whither  goest  thou  ?    But  because  I  have 


Acts  the  Gospel  of  the  Missionary  Power  125 

spoken  these  things  unto  you,  sorrow  hath  filled  your 
hearts/'  He  seems  to  chide  them  for  not  giving  Him 
an  opportunity  to  explain,  for  not  trusting  His  wis- 
dom and  care  but  assuming  that  His  going  was  a  mis- 
fortune. Even  though  they  have  not  invited  an  ex- 
planation He  goes  on^  "  Nevertheless  I  tell  you  the 
truth :  It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away :  for  if 
I  go  not  away  the  Paraclete  will  not  come  unto  you ; 
but  if  I  go  I  will  send  him  imto  you.  And  he,  when 
he  is  come,  will  convict  the  world"  (16:  5-8).  The 
Holy  Spirit  with  and  in  these,  and  similar,  believers 
would  so  extend  the  power  and  so  carry  out  the  pur- 
pose of  Jesus  that  it  was  better  for  His  followers  to 
be  without  the  physical  presence  of  the  Christ  and  to 
be  empowered  by  His  spiritual  presence  and  by  the 
energy  of  His  Holy  Spirit,  working  with  them. 

4.  What  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  would  he 
Jesus  announced  also. 

He  had  already  told  them  twice  before  this  night 
that  they  would  be  arraigned  before  courts,  councils, 
rulers,  kings  for  His  sake.  They  were  not  to  be 
"  anxious  how  or  what  ye  shall  answer,  or  what  ye 
shall  say;  for  the  Holy  Spirit  shall  teach  you  in  that 
very  hour  what  ye  ought  to  say'*  (Luke  12: 11-12), 
The  reason  for  this  procedure  is  that  when  thus  ar- 
raigned the  Lord's  witnesses  are  not  to  be  concerned 
for  personal  safety  or  acquittal  but  are  to  use  such 
occasions  "  for  a  testimony  unto  them,"  unto  men 
who  would  not  otherwise  hear  the  Gospel.  And 
"  this  gospel  must  first  be  preached  unto  all  the  na- 
tions." Hence,  "  when  they  shall  lead  you  to  judg- 
ment, and  deliver  you  up,  be  not  anxious  beforehand 


1 26       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

what  ye  shall  speak;  but  whatsoever  shall  be  given 
you  in  that  hour,  that  speak  ye ;  for  it  is  not  ye  that 
speak,  but  the  Holy  Spirit"  (Mark  13:9-11). 

Now  Jesus  explains  further :  "  Howbeit  when  he, 
the  Spirit  of  truth,  is  come,  he  will  guide  you  into 
all  the  truth:  for  he  will  not  speak  from  himself; 
but  what  things  soever  he  shall  hear,  shall  he 
speak;  and  he  shall  declare  unto  you  the  things  that 
are  to  come.  He  shall  glorify  me :  for  he  shall  take 
of  mine,  and  shall  declare  it  unto  you "  (John 
16:  13-14).  In  such  terms  Jesus  links  up  His  fol- 
lowers and  the  Holy  Spirit  as  joint  continuators  of 
the  work  He  is  beginning  in  His  ministry,  founding 
in  His  death  and  glorifying  in  His  resurrection. 

5.  "  The  promise  of  my  Father  "  meant  to  Jesus 
not  alone  the  promise  that  the  Holy  Spirit  would 
take  up  His  work  and  carry  it  on  to  completion.  The 
promise  had  first  of  all  been  a  promise  to  Himself 
and  had  a  faithful  fulfillment  in  His  experience. 

He  had  read  in  His  Isaiah  that  the  Shoot  out  of 
the  stock  of  Jesse  that  would  become  a  fruitful 
Branch  for  the  glory  of  Jehovah,  should  have  rest- 
ing upon  Him  the  Spirit  of  Jehovah,  giving  wisdom, 
understanding,  counsel,  might,  knowledge,  rever- 
ence, keen  spiritual  insight,  faithfulness,  righteous- 
ness, and  authority  in  judgment.  Because  of  these 
gifts  of  the  Spirit  He  should  become  the  rallying 
point  of  the  nations  which  would  turn  to  Him  and 
the  completion  of  His  work  would  be  glorious  (see 
again  Isa.  ii :  i-io).  Again  Jehovah  had  pointed  to 
His  special  "  Servant,  whom  I  uphold  my  chosen  In 
whom  my  soul  dellghteth ;  I  will  put  my  Spirit  upon 


Acts  the  Gospel  of  the  Missionary  Power  1 27 

him;  and  he  will  bring  forth  justice  to  the  nations" 
(Isa.  42:  i).  In  Isaiah  48: 16  the  Servant  of  Jeho- 
vah, in  forecasting  His  work,  is  represented  as  saying, 
"  Now  Jehovah  hath  sent  me,  and  his  Spirit,"  and 
the  fuller  statement  of  the  way  His  work  is  to  be 
accomplished  is  forecast  in  59:  20-21,  where  a  cove- 
nant is  made  with  the  Redeemer  who  comes  to  Zion ; 
"  My  Spirit  which  is  upon  thee,  and  my  words  which 
I  have  put  in  thy  mouth,  shall  not  depart  out  of  thy 
mouth,  nor  out  of  the  mouth  of  thy  seed,  nor  out  of 
the  mouth  of  thy  seed's  seed,  saith  Jehovah,  from 
henceforth  and  forever."  Do  we  not  find  Jesus 
drawing  on  just  this  assurance  when  He  uses  such 
expressions  as  the  following :  "  He  that  hath  my 
commandments,  and  keepeth  them,  he  it  is  that  loveth 
me :  and  he  that  loveth  me  shall  be  loved  of  my  Fa- 
ther, and  I  will  love  him,  and  will  manifest  myself 
unto  him"  (John  14:  21)  ;  "  If  a  man  love  me  he  will 
keep  my  word ;  and  my  Father  will  love  him,  and  we 
will  come  unto  him,  and  make  our  abode  with  him 
.  .  .  and  the  word  which  ye  hear  is  not  mine  but 
the  Father's  which  sent  me.  .  .  .  The  Holy 
Spirit,  whom  the  Father  will  send  in  my  name,  he 
shall  teach  you  all  things,  and  bring  to  your  remem- 
brance all  that  I  said  unto  you"  (John  14:23-26)  ; 
*'  The  words  which  thou  gavest  me  I  have  given  unto 
them;  and  they  received  them**  (John  17:8;  cf. 
verses  14,  26). 

6.  How  intimate  and  constant  a  part  the  Holy 
Spirit  had  played  in  Jesus*  own  life  is  not  generally 
appreciated.  His  origin  is  attributed  to  the  Holy 
Spirit  (Matt.  1:18;  Luke  1:35).    At  His  baptism 


128       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

the  Holy  Spirit  came  to  abide  upon  Him  (Matt. 
3:i6f.,  Luke  3:3if.),  by  reason  of  which  John 
recognized  Him  as  Messiah.  In  His  principle-fixing 
experience  with  Satan  in  the  beginning  of  His  min- 
istry He  was  led  into  it  by  the  Holy  Spirit  and  from 
it  returned  in  the  power  of  the  Spirit  to  His 
work  in  Galilee  (Luke  4:1,  14).  At  His  home 
town,  Nazareth,  He  early  preached  from  the  text 
of  Isaiah  61 :  i,  "  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon 
me,  because  he  hath  anointed  me  to  preach,  etc." 
John,  or  more  probably  Jesus  Himself  as  reported  by 
John,  explains  the  power  and  influence  of  Jesus  on 
the  ground  that  "  God  giveth  not  his  Spirit  by 
measure"  (3:34).  It  was  "in  the  Spirit  of  God 
that  he  cast  out  demons"  (Matt.  12:28).  Peter 
tells  us  that  it  was  part  of  the  common  tradition  con- 
cerning Jesus  that  the  explanation  of  His  going 
about  "  doing  good,  and  healing  all  that  were  op- 
pressed by  the  devil "  was  that  "  God  anointed  him 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  and  with  Power."  In  this  way 
"God  was  with  him"  (Acts  10:38).  Paul  says 
;that  it  was  by  "  the  Spirit  of  Holiness  "  that  Jesus 
was  "  declared  to  be  the  Son  of  God  in  power,  by 
the  resurrection  from  the  dead"  (Rom.  1:4)?  thus 
attributing  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  to  the  Holy 
Spirit.  Luke  affirms  that  even  after  His  resurrection 
Jesus  gave  commandments  to  His  chosen  apostles 
through  the  Holy  Spirit  (Acts  1:2). 

II.    Luke's  Two  Gospfxs. 

I.     The  Gospel  of  the  Spirit  completes  the  Gospel 
of  the  Son. 


Acts  the  Gospel  of  the  Missionary  Power  1 29 

Luke  conceived  the  Gospel  in  two  parts  and  gave 
us  two  treatises,  one  to  set  forth  each  part  of  the 
Gospel.  God's  enterprise  with  the  human  race  calls 
for  divine  sacrifice  and  divine  energy.  How,  '*  when 
the  fullness  of  the  time  came,  God  sent  forth  his 
Son,  born  of  a  woman,  born  under  the  law,  that  he 
might  redeem  them  that  were  under  the  law,  and 
that  we  might  receive  the  adoption,  of  sons"  (Gal. 
4:4b),  this  Luke  recounts  in  his  Gospel.  How 
"  God  sent  forth  the  Spirit  of  his  Son  into  our 
hearts,  crying,  Abba,  Father"  (Gal.  4'  S)y  this  Luke 
tells  in  Acts,  which  is  as  truly  his  Gospel  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  as  is  "  the  former  treatise "  his  Gospel 
of  the  Son  of  God.  In  order  to  make  the  Gospel 
and  to  begin  His  work  of  reconciliation  God  came  in 
His  Son  Jesus  Christ.  In  order  to  proclaim  the  Gos- 
pel and  to  carry  through  the  reconciliation  to  the 
ends  of  the  earth  God  came  in  the  Holy  Spirit.  For 
the  enterprise  of  the  Gospel  both  these  comings  of 
God  into  the  life  of  humanity  are  equally  necessary. 
The  saving  of  the  world,  or  the  saving  of  any  one 
man  In  the  world,  Is  a  divine  work.  It  proceeds- 
only  when  God  works  In  and  through  men. 

Luke  thus  presents  his  Gospel  In  two  parts.  What 
Jesus  "  began  "  In  His  own  person  He  continues  In 
the  person  of  His  Holy  Spirit  working  through  His 
Church  and  His  churches,  on  through  the  course  of 
redemption. 

2.     The  urgent  need  of  the  Spirit. 

The  birth  of  Jesus  (Luke  2)  and  the  advent  of 
the  Spirit  (Acts  2)  are  the  two  events  coordinate  in 
importance  for  the  plan  and  work  of  redeeming  the 


130       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

world.  The  first  chapter  of  Acts  tells  of  the  promise 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  by  Jesus  and  of  the  emphasis 
which  He  placed  upon  the  Spirit's  coming  and  His 
work;  then  of  the  preparation  which  the  disciples  of 
Jesus  made  for  the  coming  of  the  Spirit.  He  urged 
the  disciples  not  to  leave  Jerusalem  but  to  wait  for 
the  promised  Spirit,  promised  of  old  by  the  Father, 
promised  more  recently  by  the  Lord  Himself,  and 
now  promised  by  Him  again.  He  contrasts  the 
water  baptism  of  John  with  the  Spirit  baptism  which 
He  now  emphasizes  (v.  5).  The  disciple  who  will  be 
a  worker  together  with  the  Lord  must  be  more  than 
a  repentant,  believing,  baptized  man.  He  must  have 
also  that  divine  wisdom  and  power  in  service  which 
can  come  only  when  the  Holy  Spirit  *'  clothes  him- 
self with"  the  disciple's  personality  and  works  and 
witnesses  through  this  empowered  personality.  Be- 
fore the  ascension,  and  just  before,  Jesus  sharply 
turns  the  attention  of  His  faithful  followers  away 
from  all  secondary  questions  about  even  the  king- 
dom itself  and  commands  them  to  be  concerned  only 
about  the  power  which  they  are  to  receive  by  the 
coming  upon  them  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  about  the 
witness  which  they  are  to  bear  to  their  Lord,  with  the 
Holy  Spirit  upon  them,  unto  the  uttermost  part  of 
the  earth  (vs.  6-8). 

In  obedience  to  this  command  the  group  of  "  about 
a  hundred  and  twenty"  remained  in  Jerusalem  and 
for  ten  days,  until  the  promise  was  fulfilled,  gave 
themselves  to  preparation  for  Him  and  for  their 
iwork  of  witnessing  when  He  should  come.  This 
ipreparation  consisted  in  united  prayer  and  in  the 


Acts  the  Gospel  of  the  Missionary  Power  131 

selection  of  Matthias  to  supply  the  place  of  Judas  in 
the  apostolic  group  of  authoritative  witnesses  to  the 
words  and  works  of  the  Master. 

3.     Chapter  II  tells  how  the  Spirit  came. 

That  His  coming  was  for  the  purpose  of  giving 
the  Gospel  of  Jesus  to  all  men  was  emphasized  by 
the  time  of  His  coming,  at  Pentecost,  when  pious 
Jews  and  God-fearing  Gentiles  were  in  Jerusalem 
from  the  ends  of  the  earth.  No  fewer  than  fourteen 
racial  or  territorial  sections  of  the  race  are  named  as 
being  represented  in  the  throngs  then  present.  Again 
the  method  of  the  Spirit  is  indicated  by  the  symbol 
of  His  presence  as  fire,  a  sheet  of  flame  coming  into 
the  room  and  dividing  up  into  a  hundred  and  twenty 
tongues  of  flame,  one  resting  on  the  head  of  each 
disciple  there  waiting  and  now  made  a  powerful  wit- 
ness to  the  Saviour.  The  "  sound  as  of  a  rushing, 
mighty  wind"  suggests  also  the  renovating  shaking 
of  the  world  which  is  to  be  effected  by  the  messen- 
gers of  Jesus  in  the  world. 

•4.     All  believers  should  receive  the  Spirit. 

When  the  wonderful  events  had  attracted  the 
great  crowds  and  when  the  preaching  had  brought 
thousands  to  inquire  what  they  should  do,  Peter  tells 
them  how  they  may  be  saved  and  also  what  they 
must  do  as  saved  men  (vs.  38-40).  Besides  repent- 
ing and  confessing  Jesus  Christ  in  baptism  they  were 
all  to  receive  the  Holy  Spirit  and  thus  all  become 
witnesses  to  Jesus,  missionaries  of  the  Gospel  even 
as  the  hundred  and  twenty  were.  This  is  God's  plan 
and  wish  for  all,  "  as  many  as  the  Lord  our  God 
shall  call  unto  him." 


132       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

III.    The  Work  of  the  Spirit  in  Acts. 

I.     General  facts  in  the  story. 

Jesus  had  said,  in  His  parting  commission  (1:8- 
10),  that  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the  followers  of  Jesus 
should  bear  witness  to  Him,  first,  in  Jerusalem ;  sec- 
ond, in  all  Judea  and  Samaria,  i  c,  in  Palestine, 
their  homeland ;  third,  unto  the  uttermost  part  of  the 
earth.  Luke  tells  the  story  of  this  witness  of  the 
Spirit  through  Christian  men  and  women  in  three 
sections,  corresponding  exactly  to  these  three  divi- 
sions in  the  programme  of  Jesus.  From  chapter  2 
to  8 : 1  the  witness  is  all  in  the  City  of  Jerusalem. 
Chapters  8  to  12  tell  how  the  witness  was  borne  in 
Judea  and  Samaria  and  gradually  and  progressively 
got  out  into  Syria  even  beyond  Palestine.  Then  at 
chapter  13  there  was  the  definite  undertaking,  under 
the  command  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  go  out  into  the 
world  beyond  the  homeland  of  the  first  Christians. 
What  we  call  foreign  missions  were  definitely  under- 
taken, and  all  the  remaining  chapters  of  Acts  tell 
how  the  messengers,  the  missionaries,  of  the  Christ, 
were  guided,  sustained,  empowered  while  they  went 
into  all  the  world  with  the  Gospel,  and  planted  great 
churches  in  the  great  city  centers. 

It  is  important  to  notice  how  Luke  all  the  way 
through  sticks  to  his  viewpoint,  that  it  is  the  Holy 
Spirit  whose  work  he  is  recording.  Men  are  His 
instruments  and  work  with  Him.  But  always  it  is 
primarily  His  work.  Men  are  subordinate  to  Him. 
Every  new  stage  of  expansion,  each  new  feature  of 
organization,  every  new  racial  group  included  in  the 
blessings  of  the  Gospel,  all  are  by  the  Spirit's  con- 


Acts  the  Gospel  of  the  Missionary  Power  133 

trol  and  in  some  way  His  presence  and  power  are 
expressly  shown  in  the  event  and  testified  to  in  the 
record. 
2.  The  witness  in  Jerusalem. 
(i)  When  Peter  and  John,  in  the  name  of  Jesus, 
had  healed  the  man  at  the  Beautiful  Gate  of  the 
temple,  they  used  the  occasion  to  witness  to  Jesus 
in  such  a  way  that  "  many  of  them  that  heard  the 
word  believed."  Then  they  were  haled  before  the 
grand  Jewish  Court.  "  Then  Peter,  filled  with  the 
Holy  Spirit"  (4:8)  bore  his  testimony  to  Jesus  to 
these  rulers.  When  dismissed  under  severe  threats 
they  went  to  their  own  company  and  reported  the 
matter.  Then  recognizing  the  plan  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  (4:25)  they  all  fell  to  praying  for  courage 
and  faithfulness.  The  answer  of  God  was  that  "  the 
place  was  shaken  wherein  they  were  gathered  to- 
gether: and  they  were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  they  spoke  the  word  of  God  with  boldness" 
(4:31). 

(2)  When  a  serious  need  arose  by  reason  of  the 
poverty  of  so  many  of  the  Christians  It  was  met  by 
adoptmg  the  principle  of  stewardship  of  material 
goods.  Thus  many  sold  their  possessions  and  de- 
voted the  proceeds  to  an  apostolic  treasury.  That 
the  Holy  Spirit  was  In  all  this  Luke  shows  by  telling 
how  Peter  declared  to  Ananias  and  to  Sapphira  that 
they  were  lying  to  God  In  the  Holy  Spirit  (see  4:  32, 
5:16).  Again  there  followed  remarkable  numbers 
of  conversions. 

(3)    Persecution    of   the   apostles    was    renewed 
(5:17-42).     This  gave  another  occasion  for  bold. 


134       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

forceful  preaching  to  the  Sanhedrin  concerning 
Jesus  as  God's  "  prince  and  Saviour,  to  give  repent- 
ance to  Israel  and  remission  of  sins."  Then  Peter 
declares :  "  We  are  witnesses  of  these  things ;  and 
so  is  the  Holy  Spirit,  whom  God  hath  given  to  them 
that  obey  him"  {v,  32). 

(4)  To  meet  the  disturbance  which  arose  over  the 
distribution  of  food  for  the  poor  (chap,  6),  "seven 
men  of  good  report,  and  full  of  the  Spirit  and  of 
wisdom  "  were  designated  to  attend  to  this  business 
in  the  church.  The  outcome  was  fresh  conquests  so 
that  the  number  of  the  disciples  multiplied  exceed- 
ingly and  came  to  include  even  a  great  company  of 
Jewish  priests  (v.  7). 

(5)  One  of  these  seven  was  "  Stephen,  a  man  full 
of  faith  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit "  (v.  5).  He  met  the 
Jewish  rabbis  in  their  own  synagogues  and  "  They 
were  not  able  to  withstand  the  wisdom  and  the  Spirit 
by  which  he  spoke."  To  him  came  the  first  crown 
of  martyrdom.  To  him  it  was  given  to  see  the  Lord 
Jesus  standing  to  receive  him  into  glory.  Thus  he 
"  fell  asleep  "  bearing  his  witness  in  a  way  that  Saul 
could  never  forget  (see  7:  58,  8:  i). 

3.     Witness  in  Judea  and  Samaria. 

In  the  second  division  of  Acts,  chapters  8-12  as 
above,  we  have  examples  of  how  "  those  that  were 
scattered  abroad  "  by  the  persecution  that  began  with 
the  stoning  of  Stephen,  "went  about  preaching  the 
word." 

(i)  Chapter  8  tells  of  the  exploits  of  Philip. 
The  Holy  Spirit  enabled  him  to  perform  miracles  in 
Samaria  and  caused  "the  multitudes  to  give  heed 


Acts  the  Gospel  of  the  Missionary  Power  135^ 

with  one  accord  "  to  his  Gospel.  Then  came  Peter 
and  John  under  whose  hands  the  Holy  Spirit  set  His 
seal  of  approval  on  this  reception  of  Samaritans  into 
the  Lord's  church  (v.  15).  The  angel  of  the  Lord 
now  sent  Philip  toward  Gaza  and  the  Spirit  told  him 
to  go  and  join  himself  to  the  chariot  of  the  Ethiopian 
treasurer.  When  he  had  led  the  Eunuch  to  accept 
Jesus  and  had  baptized  him  "  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord 
caught  away  Philip  "  and  sent  him  on  to  "  preach  the 
gospel  to  all  the  cities,  till  he  came  to  Csesarea ''  (see 
vs.  26,  29,  39-40). 

(2)  Both  the  Lord  Jesus,  in  the  visions  to  Saul 
and  to  Ananias,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  took  part  in 
converting,  calling  and  equipping  Saul,  and  in  send- 
ing him  back  at  length  to  his  Tarsus  home  where  he 
began  a  blessed  ministry  in  his  native  province 
(chap.  9). 

The  outcome  of  Saul's  conversion  was  peace  to 
the  church  which,  still  walking  in  the  fear  of  the 
Lord  and  in  the  comfort  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  con- 
tinued also  to  be  multiplied  (v.  31). 

(3)  Next  this  Gospel  of  the  Holy  Spirit  tells  how 
Peter  was  used  to  "  open  the  door  of  faith  to  the 
Gentiles"  of  the  house  of  Cornelius,  and  to  con- 
vince even  the  rigidly  Jewish  Christians  that  "  to 
Gentiles  also  God  hath  granted  repentance  unto  life  " 
(9:32,  11:18).  The  divine  presence  pervades  the 
entire  story.  The  specific  statements  which  show 
the  Spirit's  part  in  it  may  be  seen  In  9:40,  10:3-6, 
9,  19,  28,  38,  44-46,  11: 12,  13-16. 

This  admission  for  the  first  time  of  Romans  to  the 
salvation  of  the  Gospel  was  marked  by  the  miracle- 


136       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

working  powers  of  the  Holy  Spirit  (10:44),  just  as 
had  the  first  Samaritan  beUevers  been  thus  approved 
(8:15-18). 

(4)  The  boldest  step  of  all  in  this  giving  the  Gos- 
pel to  heathen  was  taken  by  certain  private  disciples 
at  Antioch  (11 :  19-25).  These  preached  the  simple 
gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus  to  Greeks,  with  no  Jewish 
requirements.  "  And  the  hand  of  the  Lord  was  with 
them  and  a  great  number  that  believed  turned  unto 
the  Lord."  When  Barnabas  came  to  see  about  this 
new  departure  he  heartily  approved  it,  being  able  to 
**  see  the  grace  of  God,"  "  for  he  was  a  good  man, 
and  full  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  of  faith:  and  much 
people  was  added  unto  the  Lord."  The  Holy  Spirit 
used  the  prophet  Agabus  to  lead  the  believers  at  An- 
tioch to  bind  their  Jerusalem  brethren  to  them  by 
means  of  a  contribution  of  money  to  relieve  distress 
in  the  Jewish  church  in  a  time  of  famine  (11:  27- 

30). 

(5)  Chapter  12  records  one  more  striking  ex- 
perience of  the  Lord's  use  of  an  "  angel "  in  a  crisis 
to  save  Peter  for  his  work  in  the  Gospel.  Thus  we 
complete  the  second  stage  of  the  expansion  of  the 
Gospel  under  the  joint  witness  of  disciples  and  the 
Spirit. 

4.     Inaugurating  the  campaign  for  all  the  world. 

The  time  has  come  now  in  a  definite,  systematic 
way  to  universalize  the  Gospel.  The  Holy  Spirit  has 
thus  far  followed  a  very  definite  plan  but  the  plan 
has  not  been  revealed  to  the  men  whom  He  has  used. 
They  have  merely  been  able  to  see  how  in  discon- 
nected events  they  must  work  with  the  Spirit. 


Acts  the  Gospel  of  the  Missionary  Power  137 

(i)  Now  the  plan  is  to  be  unfolded.  The  world 
must  be  included  in  the  programme  of  the  mission- 
aries. It  is  a  very  brief,  very  simple  story  of  the 
epochal  movement  we  have  in  Acts  13: 1-4:  "  Now 
there  were  at  Antioch,  in  the  church  that  was  there, 
prophets  and  teachers.  .  .  .  And  as  they  min- 
istered to  the  Lord,  and  fasted,  the  Holy  Spirit  said, 
Separate  me  Barnabas  and  Saul  for  the  work  where- 
unto  I  have  called  them.  Then  when  they  had  fasted 
and  prayed  and  laid  their  hands  on  them,  they  sent 
them  away.  So  they  being  sent  forth  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  went  down  to  Seleucia  (the  port  of  Antioch)  ; 
and  from  thence  they  sailed  to  Cyprus."  The  Holy 
Spirit  has  now  definitely  begun  a  work  He  will  never 
end  until  He  reaches  the  last  man  in  the  world.  He 
does  not  leave  these  men.  In  all  the  sixteen  chapters 
that  trace  the  work  all  the  way  from  Antioch 
through  Asia  Minor,  and  Macedonia  and  Greece, 
even  to  Rome,  and  with  eager  longing  for  the  far- 
thest west  in  Spain,  at  every  new  development,  at 
every  critical  stage  the  Holy  Spirit  is  present  and  is 
in  control. 

(2)  Many  evidences  of  this  meet  us  on  the  first 
missionary  journey  (chaps.  13-14),  for  at  each  new 
city  as  they  preached  God  wrought  signs  and  won- 
ders through  the  missionaries,  both  to  win,  and  to  set 
His  seal  upon,  the  converts  (cf.  15: 12). 

(3)  Then  arose  the  question  whether  the  Gospel 
for  mankind  was  to  be  interpreted  simply  and  freely 
in  the  atonement  of  Jesus  Christ,  or  must  be  cast  in 
the  forms  of  Jewish  ceremonial.  To  settle  this 
question  once  for  all  a  notable  conference  was  held 


138       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

in  Jerusalem,  To  this  Paul  went  up  by  revelation 
and  unflinchingly  contended  against  any  limitations^ 
"  that  the  truth  of  the  gospel  might  continue  "  for  all 
men  (Gal.  2:2,5).  The  record  of  this  epochal 
meeting  is  in  Acts  15,  where  we  read  that  the  con- 
clusion is  declared  to  be  that  of  "  the  apostles  and 
the  elders  with  the  whole  church "  and  of  "the  Holy 
Spirit"  (verses  22,  28).  Thus  again  in  this  crisis 
we  have  the  Holy  Spirit  and  the  believers  united  in 
giving  Jesus  Christ  to  the  world  as  the  Saviour  of 
all  men. 

(4)  In  the  subsequent  story  of  the  second  jour- 
^^y  (15:36-18:22);  the  third  journey  (18:23- 
21 :  17)  ;  the  arrest  and  imprisonment  experiences 
of  Paul,  the  chief  missionary  (21:18-28:31),  we 
see  the  Spirit  of  Jesus  always  controlling,  directing, 
restraining,  empowering,  warning,  encouraging,  in 
all  ways,  introducing  "  the  glorious  gospel  of  the 
blessed  God  "  into  the  life  of  men  to  redeem  and  to 
reorganize  the  life  of  mankind.  In  all  this  section, 
as  in  the  earlier  sections  of  the  book,  every  chapter 
is  marked  by  some  evidence  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
whose  presence  and  power  pervade  the  whole  story. 
Sometimes  He  is  opening  the  hearts  of  hearers  to 
give  heed  to  the  words  of  the  missionaries  (16: 14)  ; 
or  He  gives  visions  to  direct  the  missionaries  in  their 
work  (16:91,  18:9,  23:  II,  27:23)  ;  restrains  them 
from  going  to  regions  not  yet  in  His  plan  (16:  6-y)  ; 
confirms  the  faith  of  new  groups  of  converts  (19 :  6)  ; 
heals  and  casts  out  evil  spirits  through  the  mission- 
aries (16:18,  I9:iif.);  designates  elders  in  the 
churches  to  be  "  overseers  and  to  feed  the  churches 


Acts  the  Gospel  of  the  Missionary  Power  139 

of  the  Lord  "  (20;  28)  ;  prepares  the  missionaries  for 
their  persecutions  (20:23,  21: 11,  14). 

In  it  all  He  is  with  the  missionaries  in  winning 
converts,  organizing  and  developing  the  churches, 
introducing  a  new  force  into  the  world  and  interpret- 
ing it  through  the  Epistles  which  were  written  by 
His  inspiration. 

5.  The  Holy  Spirit  came  on  Pentecost  to  he  the 
permanent  source  of  direction  and  power  in  the  mis- 
sionary enterprise. 

And  always  when  He  has  been  recognized  and 
received  by  the  churches  of  Christ  He  has  made  the 
followers  of  Christ  active  and  successful  in  extend- 
ing and  establishing  the  work  of  Christ  in  the  world. 
His  work  remains  the  same  through  all  the  centuries. 
The  modern  missionary  enterprise  is  made  up  of  a 
new  series  of  "Acts  of  the  Holy  Spirit."  As  in  the 
first  century  so  in  the  twentieth  He  calls  out  the 
missionaries,  inspires  the  churches  with  enthusiasm 
and  purpose,  gives  wisdom  in  plans  and  methods,  and 
power  in  the  witness  in  all  the  ends  of  the  earth. 


Questions  for  Review  and  Reflection 

On  what  two  forces  was  Jesus  depending  for  the 
continuance  and  large  success  of  His  work? 

Why  does  Jesus  seem  eager  to  complete  His  own 
work? 

What  did  Jesus  mean  by  the  phrase  "  The  promise 
of  my  Father"  in  referring  to  the  Holy  Spirit? 

What  part  had  the  Holy  Spirit  played  in  the  life 
and  ministry  of  Jesus? 


140       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

What  is  the  relation  between  Luke's  Gospel  and 
Acts? 

What  other  names  might  we  apply  to  this  book 
besides  Acts  of  the  Apostles? 

What  name  would  best  describe  it  ? 

What  are  the  three  divisions  of  Acts? 

Recall  as  many  instances  in  Acts  as  you  can  where 
the  Holy  Spirit  is  named  as  taking  leading  part. 

What  different  activities  are  ascribed  to  the  Holy 
Spirit  in  Acts? 

Does  the  Holy  Spirit  still  take  part  in  the  work  of 
Missions  as  in  the  first  century? 

What  relation  do  you  find  between  prayer  and  the 
manifestations  of  the  Holy  Spirit  ? 


VIII 

PAUL  THE  INTERPRETER  OF  THE  MIS- 
SIONARY MESSAGE 

I.  Paul  Peculiarly  the  Interpreter  of  the 
Christ. 

Luke  and  Paul  were  used  to  write  fifteen  of  the 
twenty-seven  books  of  our  New  Testament.  As 
Luke  is  preeminently  the  historian  of  the  Gospel  of 
the  Saviour  of  the  world,  so  Paul  is  more  than  any 
ether  the  divinely  inspired  interpreter  of  the  Christ 
as  the  world's  Saviour.  He  wrote  always  as  the 
missionary  statesman. 

1.  He  teaches  the  nature  of  the  Christian  life  and 
hope. 

His  earliest  writings,  to  the  Thessalonians,  were  to 
interpret  to  these  Macedonian  Christians,  so  recently 
out  of  heathenism,  the  nature  of  the  Christian  life 
and  the  character  of  the  Christian  hope,  to  show  mis- 
sionary converts  what  manner  of  life  they  had  come 
into.     This  element  is  part  of  every  writing  of  his. 

2.  He  states  the  principles  of  the  religion  of  Jesus 
Christ  and  shows  how  to  apply  them. 

The  Corinthian  letters  are  to  a  church  in  the  great- 
est center  of  heathen  vices  and  abominations  in  the 
Roman  world.  The  converts  were  very  numerous. 
No  end  of  questions  arose  as  to  organization,  dis- 
cipline, doctrine,  relations  to  unconverted  heathen, 

141 


142       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

apostolic  authority.  To  guide  such  a  great  group  of 
converts,  in  such  delicate  and  complicated  circum- 
stances, called  for  at  least  three  visits  by  Paul  and 
several  by  some  of  Paul's  associates  and  helpers,  as 
also  for  written  messages.  In  dealing  with  these 
problems  as  they  presented  themselves  in  this  large 
and  typical  church  in  a  heathen  community  the  great 
missionary  stated  the  principles  of  the  Gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ  and  showed  how  to  apply  them.  He 
showed  in  his  own  spirit  the  true  character  of  an 
ideal  missionary. 

3.  The  great  doctrines  of  Christianity  took  form 
in  the  great  missionary's  mind  as  he  grew  in  experi- 
ence of  the  Christ  and  as  he  saw  the  meaning  of  his 
Saviour  for  the  whole  human  race. 

(i)  Against  the  background  of  the  world  empire 
of  Rome  he  was  led  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  see  the 
widest  world  meaning  of  the  Redeemer.  In  the  face 
of  the  moral  bankruptcy  of  the  Grasco-Roman 
world  and  the  impotency  of  Jewish  legalism  he  was 
led  to  a  clear  and  definite  understanding  of  the  di- 
vine plan  of  righteousness  by  faith  in  the  Son  of 
God.  In  conflict  with  the  ceremonial  legalism  which 
Jewish  Christians  carried  over  into  the  Church  Paul 
wrought  out  the  clear  statement  of  the  Christian  way 
of  salvation.  And  these  fundamental  doctrines  of 
the  new,  conquering  faith  he  wrote  out  for  the  mis- 
sionary churches  in  Galatia,  and  in  Rome. 

(2)  As  the  heresy  known  as  Gnosticism  began  to 
find  its  way  Into  the  mission  churches  of  Colossse 
and  Laodlcea,  raising  doubts  concerning  the  reality 
of  the  human  life  of  Christ  Jesus,  or  else  questioning 


Paul,  Interpreter  of  Message  1 43 

the  divinity  of  Jesus  as  the  Christ,  Paul  wrote  the 
Colossian  letter  to  meet  these  errors;  and  he  then 
went  on  to  a  more  general  letter  to  all  the  churches 
in  the  Roman  province  of  Asia  (Ephesians),  in 
which  he  gave  to  Christianity  its  profoundest  and 
most  comprehensive  statement.  In  this  book  he  sets 
forth  "  the  Glory  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus  " :  he  gives 
to  us  the  most  exalted  conception  of  the  Church  as 
the  spiritual  body  of  the  Christ,  that  in  which  He 
gathers  together  and  carries  to  completeness  all  that 
God  His  Father  purposed  in  Him ;  and  thus  outlines 
the  full  significance  of  the  Christian  calling.  This 
last  phrase  is  Paul's  own  phrase  for  stating  his  pur- 
pose in  the  book.  In  the  first  verse  of  chapter  4, 
having  in  the  previous  chapters  given  the  great  doc- 
trinal teaching,  he  begins  an  exhortation.  In  doing 
so  he  adopts  the  device  of  a  play  on  words,  for  em- 
phasis. The  English  translations  only  partially  pre- 
serve this  figure  of  speech.  The  Greek  word  used 
is,  in  its  base  syllable,  the  same  as  in  our  English  call 
(Greek,  kaX).  We  can  use  it  in  English  three  times 
just  as  Paul  did  in  the  Greek.  Thus :  "  I,  therefore, 
the  prisoner  in  the  Lord,  call-you-on  to  conduct  your 
life  worthily  of  the  calling  in  the  sharing  of  which  ye 
were  called."  This  "  high  calling  of  God  In  Christ 
Jesus  "  was  nothing  short  of  perfecting  the  work  of 
the  Christ  by  which  He  gains  His  full  expression  in 
the  life  of  humanity.  We  shall  return  to  this 
thought  below. 

4.    He  deals  with  special  problems  of  missions. 

(l)  Philemon  was  called  forth  by  the  need  for 
reconciling    a    runaway    slave,    Onesimus,    won    to 


144       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

Christ  by  Paul  in  Rome,  to  his  master,  Philemon  of 
Colossse,  who  spiritually  also  "  owed  to  Paul  even 
his  own  self"  (v.  19). 

(2)  Philippians  had  for  its  primary  purpose  thank- 
ing the  Christians  of  Philippi  for  money  sent  to  Paul 
to  meet  his  needs.  By  this  gift  they  became  the 
great  missionary's  "  partners  in  extending,  defend- 
ing, and  establishing  the  gospel  "  (i :  5-7). 

John  had  also  to  deal  with  a  question  of  finance  in 
missionary  work,  from  which  we  get  his  truly  re- 
markable Third  Epistle.  Some  missionaries  had  vis- 
ited the  church,  possibly  Corinth,  bearing  John's 
commendation.  Diotrephes,  "  who  loveth  to  have 
the  preeminence  among  them,"  had  led  the  church  to 
refuse  any  hearing  or  support  to  the  missionaries. 
Gains  had  received  them,  entertained  them  and  con- 
tributed to  their  work.  He  and  such  as  joined  with 
him  in  this  worthy  cause  were  excommunicated  by 
the  party  of  Diotrephes.  John  learned  of  all  this 
and  wrote  to  Gains.  It  is  noteworthy  that  he  agrees 
perfectly  with  Paul  in  the  principles  he  sets  forth  in 
approving  and  urging  financial  support  of  missions. 
He  even  goes  beyond  Paul  in  the  emphasis  he  places 
upon  this.  Notice  these  items:  (a)  He  prays  that 
material  prosperity  shall  be  fully  matched  by  soul 
growth.  (&)  He  especially  commends  the  supporter 
of  missions  and  urges  that  he  support  them  yet 
further,  (c)  The  standard  of  such  support  he  states 
in  the  exalted  ideal,  "worthily  of  God."  (d)  As 
reasons  for  such  support  he  reminds  us  that  the  mis- 
sionaries have  gone  out  "  for  the  sake  of  the  Name," 
the  supreme  Name  for  Christians;  that  they  cannot 


Paul,  Interpreter  of  Message  145 

expect  support  from  the  heathen ;  that  such  as  sup- 
port the  missionaries  thereby  become  **  fellow- 
helpers  "  to  the  truth  for  which  the  missionaries  are 
toiling.  Dignity  and  glory  are  given  in  these  teach- 
ings to  all  who  share  in  this  supreme  work. 

(3)  The  Epistles  to  Timothy  and  Titus  are  all 
three  for  the  purpose  of  directing  and  inspiring  these 
two  men  who  so  largely  helped  Paul  and  on  whom  he 
was  depending  for  continuing  the  missionary  work 
he  had  so  splendidly  begun. 

II.  This  Interpretation  Paul's  Greatest 
Work. 

Paul  makes  it  very  clear  that  he  regarded  it  his 
greatest  work  to  interpret  God's  inner,  large  pur- 
pose in  the  Christ,  to  get  the  Gospel  understood  as 
God's  call  to  salvation  to  all  in  the  whole  world. 

I.     The  stewardship  of  God's  plan  in  Christ. 

In  the  third  chapter  of  Ephesians  he  undertakes  to 
have  his  readers  understand  "the  stewardship  of 
that  grace  of  God  which  was  given  me  on  its  way  to 
you"  (v.  2).  By  revelation  God  had  made  known 
to  Paul  His  own  deep,  eternal  purpose,  so  that  Paul 
had  been  given  an  understanding  of  the  divine  inten- 
tion in  the  Saviour.  Such  is  the  meaning  of  the 
phrase  "mystery  of  Christ"  (see  vs.  3,  4).  This 
plan  of  God  is  now  a  great  open  secret,  made  known 
by  the  Spirit  to  God's  selected  missionary  prophets. 
This  hitherto  secret,  but  now  open  and  proclaimed 
secret,  of  God  is  (v.  6)  that  the  heathen  nations  are 
equally  with  those  who  had  already  known  Him  an 
inheritance  of  God;  that  they  are,  in  God's  plans. 


146       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

equally  members  of  the  spiritual  body  which  He  is 
constructing  in  the  world;  that  they  are  sharers, 
equally,  in  the  promise  of  redemption  in  Christ  Jesus 
by  means  of  the  Gospel. 

Of  this  universal  Gospel  of  the  impartial  love  and 
purpose  of  God  Paul  was  made  a  minister  and  his 
chiefest  ambition  and  highest  glory  were  in  "  making 
all  men  see  God's  method  of  giving  out  this  secret 
which  for  ages  had  been  hid  in  the  God  who  created 
all  things  "  and  who  through  this  Gospel  is  showing 
His  great  purpose  in  creation  (see  vs.  7-9). 

2.     Paul's  philosophy  of  history. 

Before  he  wrote  this  wonderful  outline  of  God's 
plan  Paul  had  already  given  the  key  to  his  philosophy 
of  history  in  his  address  at  Athens  (Acts  i7:22ff.). 
That  key  was  to  be  found  in  the  gospel  of  "  repent- 
ance inasmuch  as  God  hath  appointed  a  day  in  which 
he  will  judge  the  world  in  righteousness  by  the  man 
whom  he  hath  ordained;  whereof  he  hath  given 
assurance  unto  all  men  in  that  he  hath  raised  him 
from  the  dead/* 

It  was  a  serious  problem  in  Paul's  mind  to  account 
for  the  God  and  Father  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  God  of 
love  and  grace,  maintaining  and  so  being  responsible 
for  a  human  race  most  of  whom  were  religiously 
ignorant,  superstitious,  idolatrous  and  immoral. 
How  could  God  tolerate  them?  How  could  He  per- 
mit them  to  live  in  a  world  which  He  had  made,  and 
continue  as  so  large  a  part  of  a  race  of  which  He 
was  the  Creator  and  Preserver  ?  The  answer  to  this 
deep  and  terrible  question  could  be  found  only  in  a 
great  purpose  of  universal  love.    There  at  Athens 


Paul,  Interpreter  of  Message  147 

Paul  outlined  this  great  gospel  explanation  of  the 
mystery  of  human  history.  "  The  God  that  made 
the  world  and  all  things  therein,  he  being  Lord  of 
heaven  and  earth,  .  .  .  seeing  he  himself  giv- 
eth  to  all  life,  and  breath,  and  all  things;  he  also 
made  of  one  every  nation  of  men  to  dwell  on  all  the 
face  of  the  earth,  having  determined  their  appointed 
seasons,  and  the  bounds  of  their  habitation ;  that  they 
might  seek  God,  if  haply  they  might  feel  after  him 
and  find  him,  though  he  is  not  far  from  each  one 
of  us;  for  in  him  we  live,  and  move,  and  have  our 
being.  .  .  ."  Thus  God  is  ordering  the  life  of 
every  people  with  a  view  to  their  coming  to  know 
and  worship  Him.  This  glorious  end  is  brought 
about  by  means  of  the  Gospel.  And  so,  missions  be- 
came the  key  to  the  understanding  of  history.  Every 
nation's  meaning  in  the  world  must  be  found  in  its 
relation  to  God's  plan  for  winning  to  Himself  the 
whole  world.  And  He  wins  them  through  His  Son, 
Jesus  Christ.  The  late  Dr.  A.  T.  Pierson  was  fond 
of  saying:  "All  history  is  just  His-story." 

3.  That  God  Himself  can  he  interpreted  only 
from  this  missionary  standpoint  is  a  distinct  doctrine 
of  Paul.  He  implies  it  in  all  his  teaching.  In  Ro- 
mans, chapters  9  to  11,  he  works  it  out  in  a  very 
striking  way  in  dealing  with  the  question  of  the  sal- 
vation of  Jews  and  Gentiles.  But  he  states  his 
teaching  quite  clearly  and  briefly  in  i  Timothy  2: 
3-7.  He  has  exhorted  that  prayer  shall  be  made  for 
all  men.  Then  he  adds :  "  This  is  good  and  accept- 
able in  the  sight  of  God  our  Saviour;  who  would 
have  all  men  to  be  saved,  and  come  to  the  knowledge 


148       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

of  the  truth.  For  there  is  one  God,  one  Mediator 
also  between  God  and  men,  himself  a  man,  Christ 
Jesus,  who  gave  himself  a  ransom  for  all;  the  tes- 
timony to  he  home  in  its  own  times;  whereunto  I 
was  appointed  a  herald,  and  an  apostle  (I  speak  the 
truth,  I  lie  not),  a  teacher  of  the  Gentiles  in  faith 
and  truth."  Note  how  comprehensive  and  how  de- 
tailed is  this  brief  summary  statement  of  God's  atti- 
tude and  method. 

(i)  It  is  significant  that  Paul  thinks  of  God  as 
"  our  Saviour."  That  God's  feeling  toward  men  is 
that  of  saviourhood  is  a  consistent  and  emphatic  ar- 
ticle in  Paul's  faith.  In  this  same  Epistle  he  so 
designates  God  in  the  first  sentence  of  the  introduc- 
tory greetings.  He  is  "  an  apostle  of  Christ  Jesus 
according  to  the  commandment  of  God  our  Saviour." 
In  4:  10  he  explains  that  "  we  labour  and  strive,  be- 
cause we  have  our  hope  set  on  the  living  God,  who 
is  the  Saviour  of  all  men,  especially  of  them  that 
believe."  It  is  God's  desire  for  "  all  men  to  be  saved 
and  to  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth."  The 
entire  scheme  and  process  of  redemption  of  the 
world  are  of  God  who  is  reconciling  the  world  unto 
Himself  (see  2  Cor.  5:  i8f.). 

(2)  The  one  God  argues  a  common  goal  for  the 
one  human  race.  There  is  one  avenue  of  approach 
to  Him,  one  Mediator,  provided  by  the  one  God. 
The  one  God,  one  race,  one  Mediator,  imply  that  this 
Mediator  must  be  in  the  interest  of  all  men  alike, 
must  be  available  for  all,  ought  therefore  to  be  made 
accessible  to  all  at  the  earliest  moment.  John  also 
announces   that   "Jesus   Christ,    the   righteous   one 


Paul,  Interpreter  of  Message  149 

...  is  the  propitiation  for  our  sins,  and  not  for 
ours  only  (who  have  been  led  to  know  Him),  but 
also  for  the  whole  world"  (i  John  2:  if.). 

(3)  It  is  needful,  and  is  in  the  plan  of  God,  that  all 
men,  in  order  to  be  saved  and  in  being  saved,  shall 
come  to  know  the  truth.  How  shall  men  believe  un- 
less they  hear?  and  how  shall  they  hear  without  a 
preacher?  (see  Rom.  10:  I4f.).  AH  the  Gentiles 
must  have  teachers  in  faith  and  truth. 

(4)  Emphasis  is  laid  on  the  conscious  purpose  of 
the  Redeemer,  that  He  "  gave  himself  a  ransom  for 
all." 

(5)  The  testimony,  by  which  all  shall  know  of 
their  ransom  and  so  be  able  to  receive  its  benefits,  is 
to  be  borne  at  the  proper  time.  Now  is  that  time. 
In  Isaiah  49 :  8,  Jehovah  had  promised  the  Redeemer 
"  at  an  acceptable  time  "  to  give  heed  to  Him,  and 
"  in  a  day  of  salvation  "  to  give  power  to  make  ef- 
fective His  suffering  in  behalf  of  man.  Paul,  in 
2  Corinthians  6 : 2,  quotes  this  and  declares  that 
"  now  is  the  acceptable  time :  behold,  now  is  the  day 
of  salvation."  Any  delay  on  the  part  of  Christians 
is  failure  to  respond  to  the  opportune  day  of  God. 

(6)  Paul's  solemn  conviction  of  his  own  appoint- 
ment to  this  missionary  function  is  a  challenge  to  us 
all  to  hear  God's  call  to  us  to  share  in  the  work  and 
if  God  wills  personally  to  go,  as  Paul  went,  to  be 
heralds,  missionaries,  teachers. 

4.  Paul  again  interprets  the  function  of  the 
Church  in  terms  of  its  relation  to  this  universal 
Gospel. 

Referring  again  to  Ephesians  3,  we  are  told  in 


150       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

verses  ten  to  twelve  that  this  great  open  secret  of  the 
inclusion  of  all  races  in  the  love  and  grace  of  God  is 
"  to  the  intent  that  now  unto  the  principahties  and 
powers  in  the  heavenly  places  {or  relations)  might 
be  made  known  through  the  Church  the  manifold 
wisdom  of  God,  according  to  a  plan  of  the  ages 
v^hich  he  purposed  (or  projected)  in  Christ  Jesus; 
in  whom  we  have  boldness  and  access  in  confidence 
through  our  faith  in  him."  The  Church  thus  be- 
comes the  vindicator  of  God  in  the  eyes  of  the 
heavenly  orders  of  personal  being,  God's  interpreter 
to  the  organized  universe.  God's  wisdom,  in  dealing 
with  a  world  so  full  of  sin  and  discord  and  loss  and 
death  as  ours,  is  illimiinated  and  glorified  as  the 
Church  wins  the  world,  redeems  sinners,  restores 
order,  founds  and  builds  and  progressively  realizes 
the  reign  of  God — the  kingdom  of  heaven — on  earth. 
We  may  not  comprehend  all  that  is  meant  by  this. 
We  can  know  that  in  fulfilling  the  work  of  mak- 
ing the  Gospel  the  possession  of  all  men  we  are  add- 
ing to  the  understanding  of  God  by  the  intelligent 
spirits  in  other  parts  of  the  universe  than  our  own. 
Thereby  we  know  that  the  Church  is  increasing  the 
glorious  appreciation  of  God.  Thus  we  can  get  at 
the  heart  of  God's  idea  for  a  church.  Each  church 
is  to  be  an  agency  for  promoting  this  universal  Gos- 
pel, a  fulfiller  of  God's  "plan  of  the  ages  which  he 
projected  in  Christ  Jesus." 

The  spiritual  Church  is  thus  coming  to  be  the  full 
realization  of  the  full  redemption  of  God  through 
the  Christ  (see  Eph.  i :  23).  When  all  this  great  pur- 
pose is  fully  realized,  then  "  unto  him  who  is  able  to 


Paul,  Interpreter  of  Message  1 5 1 

fld  exceeding  abundantly  above  all  we  ask  or  think, 
according  to  the  power  that  worketh  in  us,  unto  him 
shall  be  the  glory  in  the  Church  and  in  Christ  Jesus 
unto  all  the  generations  of  the  age  of  the  ages" 
(Eph.  3:20). 

"  Dear  dying  Lamb,  thy  precious  blood 
Shall  never  lose  its  power 
Till  all  the  ransomed  Church  of  God 
Be  saved  to  sin  no  more." 

5.  The  Christ  comes  to  maturity  in  the  growing 
Church. 

Paul's  interpretation  of  the  missionary  message 
takes  one  other  very  striking  form  in  Ephesians  4: 
11-16. 

(i)  Under  the  figure  of  a  growing  human  body 
the  apostle  represents  the  Christ  Himself  as  growing 
to  full  maturity  in  the  developing  Church.  He  seems 
to  be  thinking  of  the  general  idea  of  incarnation,  not 
specifically  of  personal  incarnation,  but  the  incarna- 
tion of  an  ideal  and  of  a  form  of  life.  This  is  a 
process,  then,  by  which  the  Christ  gets  Himself 
ideally  and  practically  wrought  into  the  life  of  the 
human  race  through  the  Church.  As  the  Church 
grows,  appropriates  its  environment  and  incorporates 
it  into  itself,  assimilates  and  adjusts  and  unifies  the 
human  race  Into  its  own  organism,  the  Christ  so 
fully,  so  gloriously  sees  of  the  travail  of  His  soul 
that  we  may  be  even  so  bold  as  figuratively,  at  least, 
to  say  the  Christ  Is  Himself  growing  Into  complete- 
ness. And  this  Is  more  than  a  mere  figure  of  speech. 
It  is,  of  course,  not  to  be  taken  literally,  certainly  not 


152       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

physically,  corporeally.  As  a  person,  the  Christ  is 
perfect;  as  our  Hfe,  the  Hfe  of  the  world,  He  is  a 
spiritual  process  which  is  completed  only  where  all 
the  elements  are  in  and  all  perfectly  adjusted  to  one 
another  and  all  perfectly  responsive  to  the  central 
control  of  Him,  the  Head  of  the  Body,  Christ. 

(2)  Under  this  very  original  and  striking  figure 
Paul,  in  the  passage  now  before  us,  reaches  his  most 
persuasive  argument,  for  such  as  appreciate  it,  in 
behalf  of  the  most  faithful  and  earnest  efforts  to 
make  Christ  Jesus  really  and  fully  the  Saviour  of  all 
men.  It  is  a  profoundly  true  idea  that  Christ  is  not 
Himself  full-grown  until  all  His  redeeming  work  is 
done;  for  so  long  as  His  purpose  is  unfulfilled,  so 
long  as  His  heart's  deep  desire  is  not  realized,  so 
long  as  His  death  is  unavailing  for  needy  sinners, 
so  long  as  men  whom  He  would  rule  in  loving  right- 
eousness are  left  in  the  power  of  darkness  and  death, 
He  cannot  be  satisfied.  His  joy  is  made  full  in  His 
followers.  His  friends.  He  prayed  most  passion- 
ately that  the  world  should  believe  that  the  Father 
bad  sent  Him. 

(3)  So  Paul  represents  in  our  passage  that  the 
reason  for  all  the  functional  leaders  in  the  Church, 
apostles,  prophets,  evangelists,  is  that  the  saints  may 
be  perfected  for  ministering,  so  that  the  body  of 
Christ  may  be  built  up. 

As  we  all,  corporately  and  in  communal  relation- 
ship, come  into  unity  of  believing  experience  and  ac- 
curate understanding  of  God's  Son  we  shall  together, 
as  His  body,  reach  the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the 
full-grown  Christ. 


Paul,  Interpreter  of  Message  1 53 

Dealing  thus  truly  as  members  of  this  growing 
body  of  the  Christ  we  shall  in  all  parts  of  the  body 
and  in  all  respects  grow  up  to  our  perfect  Head,  the 
Christ.  From  this  Christ,  complete  in  Himself  as 
the  Head,  there  comes  the  inspiration,  the  directing, 
the  constructing  energy  by  which  "  all  the  body, 
properly  joined  and  closely  knit  together  by  the 
proper  relation  and  functioning  of  every  factor, 
causes  itself  to  grow,  building  itself  up  in  love." 

By  this  biological  analogy  the  great  missionary 
makes  his  appeal  to  every  saved  soul  to  function 
most  fully  to  complete  the  salvation  body,  the  saving 
work,  of  the  Christ.  The  Christ  Himself  as  the 
formative  factor  in  history  cannot  be  complete  until 
all  His  saving  work  is  complete. 

By  all  these  varied  arguments  and  analogies  Paul 
seeks  to  make  "  all  men  see  what  is  the  stewardship 
of  the  true  meaning  of  the  Christ."  The  Redeemer 
has  set  Himself  in  the  world  "  to  save  the  world." 
He  reaches  the  world  for  saving  it  through  saved 
men  eagerly  yielding  themselves  to  transmit  in  their 
persons  and  testimony  the  saving  grace,  love  and 
power  to  others.  We  do  this  to  glorify  God  who 
sent  the  Saviour ;  to  satisfy  the  passionate  desire  and 
purpose  of  the  Saviour  who  is  ever  reaching  out 
through  us  to  fulfill  His  saviourhood ;  to  complete 
the  Church  which  is  the  growing  expression  of  the 
Christ,  and  so  is  His  glorious  counterpart;  and  we 
do  it  for  the  sake  of  the  men  who  are  lost  until  they 
feel  the  thrill  of  the  divine  energy  of  the  Redeemer 
in  their  souls  and  are  quickened  into  active  response 
to  the  love  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus. 


154       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

Questions  for  Review  and  Reflection 

Why  should  it  be  needful  to  interpret  so  exten- 
sively the  nature  and  end  of  Christianity  ? 

What  does  this  need  imply  as  to  the  spiritual  and 
social  condition  of  mankind? 

Point  out  the  reasons  for  Paul's  writing  his  vari- 
ous epistles. 

What  was  his  purpose,  especially,  in  Ephesians? 

What  do  Paul  and  John  teach  about  the  financial 
support  of  missions  ? 

What  importance  does  Paul  attach  to  his  work  of 
interpreting  God's  "  secret "  as  to  his  Christ  ? 

What  is  Paul's  key  to  the  philosophy  of  history? 

How  does  Paul  make  the  right  understanding  of 
God  dependent  on  missions  ? 

What  is   Paul's   theory  of  the   functions   of  the 
Church  ? 

How  does  this  bear  on  the  duty  of  every  church? 

Outline   Paul's  biological   figure   of  the  growing 
Christ. 

Is  it  possible  to  understand  Christianity  apart  from 
the  missionary  principle  and  practice? 


IX 

THE  MISSIONARY  MESSAGE  IN  THE 
VISIONS    OF   PATMOS 

The  Revelation,  the  final  New  Testament  book, 
is  dominated  by  the  missionary  idea.  It  is  at  once 
the  most  obscure  and  the  easiest  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment writings  to  understand.  If  one  desires  to 
know  what  historical  events  and  persons  were  repre- 
sented to  John  by  the  various  visions  and  by  their 
symbolical  figures,  there  is  unlimited  field  for  specu- 
lation and  endless  confusion.  If  one  desires  to  work 
out  a  scheme  of  details  of  events  marking  the  end  of 
this  world  order  and  introducing  another  world  or- 
der the  field  for  ingenuity  is  limitless  and  one  can 
construct  millennial  programmes  indefinitely. 

I.     Principles  for  Interpreting  Revelation. 

If  one  is  content  to  read  the  revelation  to  find  the 
great  eternal  principles  on  which  God  is  controlling 
the  world,  and  the  general  facts  as  to  the  course  of 
God's  guidance  of  the  world  to  its  fulfillment,  this 
Book  will  be  full  of  wisdom  and  instruction.  The 
pictures  will  be  clear  and  most  striking  in  showing 
God's  way  in  human  history.  These  principles  stand 
out  clearly  all  through  the  dramatic  visions  by  which 
God  brought  assurance,  hope,  and  courage  to  His 
persecuted  people. 

155 


156       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

1.  The  conflict  between  good  and  evil,  between 
God  and  Satan,  is  fundamental,  radical  and  persist- 
ent in  this  age  of  our  world. 

2.  The  risen,  living  Christ  is  present,  cognizant 
and  intensely  interested  in  His  churches  and  calls 
upon  them  to  be  pure,  loyal  and  faithful  to  His  truth 
and  His  work. 

3.  The  sovereignty  of  God,  even  in  the  midst  of 
all  the  evil  of  the  world,  is  prominent  in  each  vision. 
And  God  is  always  exercising  His  sovereign  will  and 
power  in  the  interest  of  believers  in  Him  and  in  His 
Son.  No  matter  how  powerful  the  evil,  how  violent 
and  temporarily  dominant  the  forces  of  sin  and  un- 
righteousness, God  always  sits  in  the  background 
holding  the  determining  lines  of  ultimate  control.  It 
is  at  the  sound  of  His  angels'  trumpets  that  even  the 
worst  manifestations  of  destroying  power  are  seen; 
and  it  is  when  the  Lamb  of  God  breaks  the  seals  of 
the  scroll  of  God's  providence  that  war  and  famine 
and  pestilence  ride  forth  to  their  deadly  work. 
When  all  is  done  God  still  sits  on  His  throne.  Thus 
is  most  effectively  proclaimed  the  rule  of  God  in  the 
life  of  the  world. 

4.  The  slain  Lamb,  sacrificed  for  the  sin  of  hu- 
manity, is  the  one,  and  sufficient,  clue  to  the  mys- 
teries of  our  strange  world  and  of  God's  dealing  in 
the  long  course  of  His  providence  with  men.  In 
Christ  alone  can  we  understand  human  history.  In 
Him  and  in  His  ever-growing  work  is  the  explana- 
tion of  all  that  puzzles  and  distresses  now. 

5.  The  certain  triumph  of  God  in  righteousness, 
peace  and  glory  is  proclaimed.    The  outcome  of  all 


The  Message  in  the  Visions  of  Patmos     157 

the  conflict  is  to  be  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth 
from  which  shall  be  wholly  and  forever  excluded 
"  the  fearful,  and  unbelieving,  and  abominable,  and 
murderers,  and  fornicators,  and  sorcerers  and  idol- 
aters and  all  liars"  (21:8).  "He  that  sitteth  on 
the  throne  saith,  Behold  I  make  all  things  new" 

(21:5)- 

6.  The  people  of  Christ  are  eternally  blessed. 
They  are  blessed  now  in  their  ideals,  in  their  rela- 
tions, in  their  expectations,  in  their  sufferings  which 
are  part  of  the  means  by  which  the  world  is  being 
wrought  into  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

7.  The  continuous  urgency  of  witnessing  to  Jesus 
stands  out  as  the  duty  of  all  believers.  In  their 
faithfulness  He  wins  His  triumphs.  In  loyalty  to 
Him  they  receive  their  deliverance  and  their  tri- 
umph. All  the  time  they  are  a  part  of  the  conquer- 
ing forces.  All  the  time  their  Lord  is  thinking  and 
acting  in  relation  to  the  whole  enterprise  of  a  re- 
deemed and  holy  humanity.  On  this  work  they  must 
wait ;  in  this  work  they  do  share. 

II.    The  Visions  of  the  Revelation. 

These  may  be  variously  analyzed,  according  to  the 
way  in  which  various  scenes  are  combined.  There 
seem  to  be  seven  major  visions,  some  of  them  break- 
ing up  into  several  scenes.  In  view  of  the  obvious 
use  of  this  sacred,  symbolical  number  so  extensively 
in  the  Book  this  arrangement  of  the  visions  Into 
seven  most  probably  corresponds  to  the  way  it  was 
originally  conceived  by  John.  This  arrangement  leaves 
us  with  a  striking  missionary  element  in  each  of  the 


1 58       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

visions.  This  element  is  not  lost  if  we  adopt  some 
other  arrangement  of  the  material,  for  it  belongs  to 
the  thought  of  the  whole  and  is  interwoven  into  the 
structure  of  the  writing  which  records  the  visions. 

I.  Clearly  the  first  division  of  the  Book  is  thai 
which  gives  the  messages  to  the  seven  churches  in 
Asia,  (the  Roman  province  in  Western  Asia  Minor) 
(1:4-3:22). 

(i)  In  introducing  the  message  and  the  vision  of 
the  Christ  sending  the  message,  John  invokes  upon 
the  readers  "  grace  and  peace "  from  the  God  of 
past,  present  and  future ;  "  from  the  seven  spirits 
that  are  before  his  throne  "  and  by  whom  His  rule 
of  all  things  is  marked  as  conscious  and  intelligent; 
"  and  from  Jesus  Christ,  the  faithful  witness "  to 
God's  will  and  purpose,  "  the  first  born  of  the  dead  " 
and  so  the  pledge  of  eternal  life  to  all  who  are  in 
Him,  "  and  the  ruler  of  the  kings  of  the  earth," 
God's  divinely  appointed  Ruler  of  all  men,  before 
whom  every  knee  shall  bow  and  every  tongue  con- 
fess that  He  is  Lord  to  the  glory  of  God  His  Father 
(cf.  Phil.  2:  9-1 1).  It  is  this  Christ,  "  who  loves  us 
and  loosed  us  from  our  sins  in  his  blood,"  who  made 
us  who  accept  Him  "  to  be  a  kingdom,  priests  unto 
his  God  and  Father."  To  Him  we  are  expected  to 
ascribe  "  the  glory  and  the  dominion  unto  the  ages  of 
the  ages"  (i  :a~7), 

(2)  In  all  this  paragraph  there  breathes  the  puls- 
ing challenge  to  make  the  Christ  the  Master  of  man- 
kind, for  He  IS  depending  on  us  to  be  and  to  build 
His  kingdom. 

John  saw  Him  as  "  the  Living  One,  who  was  dead 


The  Message  in  the  Visions  of  Patmos    159 

and  now  is  alive  forevermore  and  holds  the  keys  of 
death  and  of  Hades."  He  was  in  the  midst  of  seven 
golden  lampstands,  which  are  His  churches,  from 
which  shines  the  light  of  His  love  and  grace  into  the 
darkness  of  the  world.  It  was  a  parable  of  which 
He  was  fond  in  the  days  of  His  flesh.  In  His  living 
presence  He  is  still  calling  on  His  churches :  "  Let 
your  light  shine  before  men ;  that  they  may  see  your 
good  works,  and  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in 
heaven"  (Matt.  5:  16). 

2.    The  Book  of  God's  providence. 

The  second  vision  is  contained  in  chapters  4 :  l- 
8:1.  It  might  be  named  "  Solving  the  Problem  of 
God's  Providence  in  Human  History."  It  is  a  dra- 
matic picture  in  three  parts. 

(i)  4: 5-5:  4  shows  God  on  the  throne  of  the  uni- 
verse. 

He  is  surrounded  by  twenty- four  elders  on 
thrones,  representing  all  periods  and  nations  of  peo- 
ple as  governed  thus  from  before  God.  Seven  lamps 
before  the  throne,  interpreted  as  the  Seven  Spirits 
of  God,  signify  that  all  that  goes  on  in  the  world  is 
known  perfectly  by  God.  Four  "  living  beings " 
close  in  by  the  throne  signify  the  cosmic  forces  by 
means  of  which  the  order  of  the  world  is  sustained 
and  carried  forward.  These  "  living  beings "  had 
wings  and  were  "  full  of  eyes,  round  about  and 
within,"  which  means  that  it  is  not  "blind"  and 
"  fixed  "  forces  that  carry  on  the  natural  and  social 
order  of  the  world.  The  world  is  sustained  and  de- 
veloped intelligently  and  under  control. 

These  "  living  beings,"  as  John  saw  them,  never 


l6o       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

cease  day  and  night  to  praise,  saying:  "  Holy,  holy, 
holy,  is  the  Lord  God,  the  Almighty,  who  was,  and 
who  is,  and  who  is  to  come." 

Then  the  representative  "  elders "  all  fall  before 
the  throne,  casting  their  crowns  at  its  feet,  while 
they  praise  "  our  Lord  and  our  God "  who  is 
"  worthy  to  receive  the  glory  and  the  honour  and  the 
power:  for  thou  didst  create  all  things,  and  because 
of  thy  will  they  were,  and  were  created." 

All  this  recognizes  the  rule  and  the  right  of  God  in 
all  things.  But  it  leaves  open  still  the  question  of 
why  God  made  all  this  world,  and  why  He  continues 
it  with  so  much  of  evil  and  sin  and  loss.  John  saw 
"  in  the  right  hand  of  him  that  sat  on  the  throne  a 
book  (or  scroll)  written  within  and  on  the  back." 
No  doubt  it  contained  the  plan  of  God  in  His  rule  of 
the  world.  But  it  was  "  close  sealed  with  seven 
seals,"  "  and  no  one  in  heaven,  or  on  the  earth,  or 
under  the  earth,  was  able  to  open  the  book,  or  to  look 
thereon." 

John  "  wept  much  because  no  one  was  found 
worthy  to  open  the  book,  or  to  look  thereon."  Thus 
ends  the  first  scene  of  the  picture.  God  is  on  His 
throne ;  all  things  are  ruled  by  Him ;  He  is  praised  by 
the  high,  ultimate  forces  as  the  creator  of  all  things; 
but  He  cannot  be  understood.  The  facts  of  human 
life  and  government  do  not  correspond  to  our  ideas 
of  what  such  a  God  would  produce  and  support. 
Every  good  man  has  wept,  like  John,  at  sight  of  Grod 
and  the  sealed  book  of  His  providence. 

(2)  A  second  scene  opens. 

(a)    We  have   the   same   setting  as   before,   tin- 


The  Message  in  the  Visions  of  Patmos    l6l 

changed  in  the  main.  John  is  looking  down  and 
away,  in  tears.  One  of  the  representative  "  elders  " 
calls  to  him :  "  Weep  not ;  behold,  the  Lion  that  is  of 
the  tribe  of  Judah,  the  Root  of  David,  hath  overcome 
to  open  the  book,  and  the  seven  seals  thereof."  He 
looks  up  through  his  tears  and  there  nearest  of  all  to 
the  throne,  inside  the  circle  of  the  "  elders  "  and  the 
*'  living  beings,"  "  a  Lamb  standing,  as  though  it  had 
been  slain."  It  had  seven  horns,  signifying  perfect, 
infinite  strength.  And  its  seven  eyes  take  the  place 
of  the  seven  lamps  of  the  first  scene.  These  seven 
eyes  of  the  slain  Lamb  are  really  "  the  seven  Spirits 
of  God,  sent  forth  into  all  the  earth."  It  is  through 
His  eyes  of  sympathy,  love,  sacrifice,  redemption 
that  God  looks  out  upon  all  the  earth.  He,  the  slain 
Lamb,  comes  forward  to  take  the  Book  of  God's 
providence  and  to  open  it  up  for  John,  and  for  all 
who  share  John's  concern. 

This  tangled,  puzzling  world  is,  then,  after  all,  the 
arena  of  divine  redemption.  We  can  know  God  only 
in  His  Christ  and  in  the  cross  of  His  sacrifice.  We 
can  solve  the  problem  of  the  world's  sin  only  in  the 
light  of  "  the  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sin 
of  the  world  "  (John  i :  29). 

The  "  living  beings  and  the  elders  " — nature  and 
history — fell  down  before  the  Lamb,  and  each  one 
of  the  elders  held  in  his  hands  a  harp  of  praise  and 
"  golden  bowls  full  of  incense,  which  are  the  prayers 
of  the  saints."  This  suggests  that  God  can  endure 
and  carry  on  human  history  only  by  reason  of  the 
saints,  i.  e,,  believing  men  and  women,  and  by  their 
fellowship  with  Him  through  their  prayers;  which 


1 62       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

recalls  the  word  of  Jesus  to  His  followers.  "  Ye  are 
the  salt  of  the  earth";  **Ye  are  the  light  of  the 
world." 

These  forces  of  nature  and  history  now  "  sing  a 
new  song,"  with  a  meaning  quite  beyond  that  they 
sang  in  the  first  scene.  This  is  a  song  to  the  Lamb : 
"  Worthy  art  thou  to  take  the  book,  and  to  open  the 
seals  thereof,  for  thou  wast  slain,  and  didst  pur- 
chase unto  God  with  thy  blood  men  of  every  tribe, 
and  tongue,  and  people,  and  nation,  and  madest  them 
to  be  unto  our  God  a  kingdom  and  priests ;  and  they 
reign  upon  the  earth." 

(b)  We  must  not  fail  here  to  see  the  method  of 
God's  Christ.  By  His  blood  He  purchases  unto  God 
some,  a  nucleus,  a  beginning,  out  of  every  section  of 
the  human  race.  These  purchased  ones  He  consti- 
tutes into  a  priestly  kingdom  and  they  are  the  true 
rulers  of  the  earth.  It  is  through  these  consecrated, 
understanding  ones  that  God  actually  controls  the 
world  and  carries  on  its  history.  Those  who  belong 
to  the  crucified,  risen  Christ  and  who  serve  Him 
truly  have  the  whole  world  in  their  keeping  and  they 
determine  its  destiny.  "  They  reign  upon  the  earth." 
John  now  sees  myriads  upon  myriads  of  angels  sur- 
rounding the  whole  scene  and  singing  to  the  Lamb: 
"  Worthy  is  the  Lamb  that  hath  been  slain  to  receive 
the  power,  and  riches  and  honour  and  glory,  and 
blessing. 

"  Then  every  created  thing  which  is  In  the  heaven, 
and  on  the  earth,  and  under  the  earth,  and  on  the 
sea,  even  all  things  that  are  in  them,  heard  I  saying, 

"  *  Unto  him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and  unto 


The  Message  in  the  Visions  of  Patmos     163 

the  Lamb,  be  the  blessing,  and  the  honour,  and  the 
glory,  and  the  dominion  unto  the  ages  of  the 
ages. 

The  plan  is  glorious,  the  completion  of  it  will  be 
glory.  The  Gospel  of  the  cross  of  Christ  is  the 
means  through  which  His  saints  rule  the  earth  and 
bring  it  to  its  high  destiny.  The  song  of  the  tmi- 
verse  in  praise  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb  waits  on  the 
making  of  this  Gospel  the  possession  of  all  men. 
When  this  work  is  done  the  glorious  consummation 
will  come. 

(3)  In  the  third  scene  of  this  wonderful  picture 
the  seven  seals  are  broken.  Judgments,  disasters, 
afflictions  are  revealed.  Toward  the  end,  just  be- 
fore the  opening  of  the  seventh  seal  of  the  book,  John 
sees  a  hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  from  the 
twelve  tribes  of  Israel  sealed  as  "  the  servants  of 
our  God,"  and  "  a  great  multitude,  which  no  man 
could  number,  out  of  every  nation  and  of  all  tribes 
and  peoples  and  tongues,  standing  before  the  throne 
and  before  the  Lamb,  arrayed  in  white  robes,  and' 
palms  in  their  hands,  saying: 

"  *  Salvation  unto  our  God  who  sitteth  on  the 
throne,  and  unto  the  Lamb.' " 

Then  again  all  the  angels  and  "  elders  "  and  "  liv- 
ing beings  "  give  eternal  praise  unto  our  God.  Then 
the  seventh  seal  was  opened  and  silence  in  heaven 
signified  that  with  this  consummation  of  salvation 
the  order  of  the  world  was  done.  It  is  in  this  won- 
derful process  that  missions  occupies  a  central  place. 

3.  Four  chapters  next  give  the  vision  of  seven 
angels  that  blow  great  blasts  from  seven  trumpets. 


164       The 'Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

after  each  of  which  some  devastating  judgment  falls 
on  the  sinful  world. 

(i)  By  way  of  introducing  these  angels  another 
angel  came  and  took  his  stand  by  the  altar  with  a 
gold  censer  in  his  hand.  There  was  given  to  him  a 
great  quantity  of  incense  to  mingle  with  the  prayers 
of  the  people  of  Christ  upon  the  golden  altar  before 
the  throne,  and  the  smoke  of  the  incense  with  the 
prayers  of  these  Christian  saints  ascended  before 
God.  Thus  again  we  have  the  importance  of 
Christ's  praying  people  in  the  course  of  God  with 
the  history  of  the  world  (8:  2f.). 

(2)  When  the  seventh  angel  is  shortly  to  sound 
his  trumpet  "  another  mighty  angel "  came  and  took 
his  stand  "  on  the  sea  and  on  the  land "  and  with 
upraised  hand  swore  by  the  eternal  Creator  that 
there  should  be  no  more  delay.  "  Moreover  at  the 
time  when  the  seventh  angel  shall  speak,  when  he  is 
ready  to  blow  his  blast,  then  are  at  once  fulfilled  the 
secret  purposes  of  God  of  which  he  told  the  glad 
tidings  to  his  servants,  the  prophets."  Thus,  again, 
the  gospel  of  redemption  for  men  of  all  lands  and 
peoples  is  determinative  in  God*s  control  of  human 
affairs  (10:5-7). 

(3)  "Then  the  seventh  angel  blew;  and  loud 
voices  were  heard  in  heaven  saying:  The  kingdom 
of  the  world  has  become  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord 
and  of  the  Christ,  and  he  will  reign  unto  the  age  of 
the  ages."  Thus  are  fulfilled  the  promises  of  Jeho- 
vah to  the  Christ.  The  age  of  the  Gospel  is  com- 
pleted. The  "  four  and  twenty  elders "  fall  upon 
their  faces  and  worship  God  because  history  is  com- 


The  Message  in  the  Visions  of  Patmos     165 

pleted.     God  had  taken  up  His  reign  in  great  power ; 
all    those    who    destroy    the    earth    are    destroyed 

(ii:i5ff)- 

4.  In  the  fourth  vision,  chapters  12-14,  seven 
symbolical  figures  appear  representing  the  forces  of 
righteousness  and  redemption  and  divine  pui-pose  in 
conflict  with  the  forces  of  imperiaUsm,  autocracy 
and  iniquity. 

This  vision  is  dominated  by  the  appearance  of 
"  the  Lamb  standing  on  Mount  Zion,  attended  by  a 
hundred  and  forty-four  thousand  who  have  been 
redeemed  as  the  first-fruits  of  mankind  for  God  and 
for  the  Lamb."  They  "  follow  the  Lamb  wherever 
he  goes."  They  are  singing  to  an  accompaniment 
of  harps,  "  like  the  sound  of  many  waters,"  "  what 
seems  to  be  a  new  song,"  and  which  none  other  could 
learn.  We  may  not  know  what  the  song  was.  But 
from  the  prominence  of  the  Christ  here  as  the  Lamb, 
from  the  statement  that  this  great  group  are  the  first- 
fruits,  merely  the  first-fruits,  of  God's  harvest  of 
mankind,  we  must  suppose  that  the  song  was  closely 
connected  with  the  statement  immediately  following: 
"  Then  I  saw  another  angel,  flying  in  mid-heaven. 
He  had  the  good  news  (the  eternal  gospel)  of  eter- 
nal blessings  to  proclaim  to  them  that  dwell  on  the 
earth,  to  men  of  every  nation,  tribe,  language  and 
people  "  (14:6).  This  glorious  Gospel  for  all  men 
is  thus  the  climax  of  this  vision,  which  now  pushes 
on  speedily  to  its  termination  in  the  overthrow  of  all 
who  reject  the  Son  of  Man. 

5.  The  next  vision,  that  of  seven  angels  with 
seven  final  plagues  with  which  the  political  enemies 


l66       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

of  the  work  of  Christ  are  cursed  and  tormented,  is 
occupied  almost  wholly  with  the  severity  and  the 
tragedy  of  awful  judgment,  chapters  15-16.  Even 
this  vision  of  the  righteous  wrath  of  God,  of 
the  very  completion  of  that  wrath  (see  15 :  i),  opens 
with  a  scene  of  "  them  that  come  off  victorious  from 
the  beast,  and  from  his  image,  and  from  the  number 
of  his  name."  They  stand  with  their  harps  by  the 
sea  of  glass  and  "  sing  the  song  of  Moses  the  servant 
of  God,  and  the  song  of  the  Lamb,  saying.  Great 
and  marvellous  are  thy  works,  O  Lord  God,  the  Al- 
mighty ;  righteous  and  true  are  thy  ways,  thou  King 
of  the  ages.  Who  shall  not  fear,  O  Lord,  and  glo- 
rify thy  name?  for  thou  only  art  holy;  for  all  the 
nations  shall  come  and  worship  before  thee;  for  thy 
righteous  acts  have  been  made  manifest"  (i5:3f.). 
Even  in  the  midst  of  judgment  the  mercy  of  the 
Gospel  and  its  success  must  have  its  song  of  praise. 
6.  *'The  Doom  of  Christ's  Enemies"  is  the  title 
given  in  "  The  Twentieth  Century  New  Testament " 
to  the  series  of  pictures  that  make  up  the  vision 
of  judgment  in  chapters  17  to  20.  "  Babylon " 
is  destroyed,  the  mystic  name  for  Rome  and  the 
anti-Christian  power,  imperial  and  commercial,  cen- 
tered there.  Vengeance  is  finally  taken  upon  the 
violent  and  implacable  enemies  of  the  Saviour. 
Then,  last  of  all,  the  devil  with  his  cohorts  and 
allies,  Death  and  Hades,  are  all  consigned  to  the  bot- 
tomless pit.  There  has  been  a  judgment  of  all  men. 
What  Is  known  as  the  Millennium  has  Intervened. 
Only  those  are  left  whose  names  are  written  In  the 
book  of  life.    All  else  were  "  hurled  into  the  lake  of 


The  Message  in  the  Visions  of  Patmos    167 

fire."  The  Lamb  is  taking  His  Bride  and  there  is  a 
great  marriage  supper.  The  Saving  Christ  and  the 
saved  and  saving  Church  are  to  be  united  forever 
(19:6-8).  A  voice  commanded  John  to  write  a 
new  beatitude :  *'  Blessed  are  those  who  have  been  in- 
vited to  the  wedding  feast  of  the  Lamb."  John  fell 
at  the  feet  of  the  angel  to  worship,  but  was  sharply 
warned:  "  See  thou  do  it  not:  I  am  a  fellow-servant 
with  thee  and  with  thy  brethren  who  bear  their  testi- 
mony to  Jesus:  worship  God:  for  the  testimony  of 
Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy." 

In  this  remarkably  interesting  passage  all  who 
bear  their  testimony  to  Jesus  are  put  in  the  class  of 
prophets.  We  learn  that  the  essential  feature  of 
prophecy  is  found  in  gospel  witnessing.  Prophecy 
is  speaking  for  God.  The  heart  of  the  message 
which  God  desires  spoken  for  Him  is  the  word  that 
tells  of  Jesus  the  Saviour  of  men,  the  Saviour  of  the 
world.  Every  missionary,  every  evangelist,  is  de- 
clared to  belong  to  the  company  of  the  prophets  of 
God. 

7.  The  new  order  produced  by  the  Christ  through 
His  Gospel  and  by  means  of  the  judgment  against 
hindering  enemies  is  the  subject  of  the  closing  vision 
(21:1-22:5). 

(i)  John  says:  "Then  I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a 
new  earth."  This  goal  has  ever  been  before  God. 
To  effect  this  He  has  worked  through  the  course  of 
the  centuries.  It  was  for  the  joy  of  this  set  before 
Him  that  Jesus  endured  the  cross,  despising  its 
shame.  "  The  former  heaven  and  the  former  earth 
have  passed   away."    "Behold,   the   tabernacle   of 


l68       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

God  is  with  men,  and  he  will  dwell  with  them  and 
they  shall  be  his  peoples,  and  God  himself  will  be 
among  them,  their  God."  The  old  order  has  passed 
away.  "  Then  he  who  sitteth  on  the  throne  said : 
Behold,  I  make  all  things  new."  Of  this  completed 
work  of  renewal  a  view  is  given  in  a  special  scene 
(21 :  9-22 :  5).  From  "  a  mountain  great  and  high  " 
one  of  the  angels,  "  in  the  spirit,"  showed  John  "  the 
holy  city  of  Jerusalem,  coming  down  out  of  heaven 
from  God,  having  the  glory  of  God."  The  record 
describes  its  glorious  light;  its  appearance  as  a 
whole;  its  foundations  and  its  gates,  in  detail;  its 
lack  of  temple  and  of  sun  and  moon,  these  being 
rendered  useless  by  the  direct  glory  of  God  and  the 
Lamb;  its  inhabitants;  its  provision  for  the  eternal 
blessedness  of  all  who  are  there. 

(2)  That  to  which  we  need  here  to  attend  spe- 
cially is  that  this  perfection  and  glory  are  the  con- 
summation which  God  effects  for  the  process  and 
work  of  redemption  through  the  sacrifice  of  the 
Christ.  Through  all  the  description  the  Lamb  is 
made  most  prominent.  That  gospel  name  is  used 
for  Him  all  through  the  account,  keeping  the  idea  of 
atonement  and  redemption  before  the  mind.  This 
perfect  city  Is  God's  fulfillment  of  the  redeeming 
enterprise. 

When  John  is  invited  to  the  scene  it  is  that  he 
may  be  shown  "  the  Bride,  the  wife  of  the  Lamb  ** 
(21:9),  that  which  is  to  Him  most  dear  and  most 
precious.  Jesus  had,  in  one  of  His  parables,  pre- 
sented the  gospel  invitation,  and  its  urgency  upon 
the  neglected  and  outcast  of  men,  under  the  figure  of 


The  Message  in  the  Visions  of  Patmos    169 

a  marriage  feast  which  a  certain  king  made  for  his 
son.  His  servants  continued  to  go  out,  at  his  com- 
mand, and  bring  together  such  as  could  be  con- 
strained to  come  until  "  the  wedding  was  filled  with 
guests  "  (see  Matt.  22 : 1-14).  Paul  (Eph.  5 :  22-33) 
takes  the  union  of  Christ  and  His  Church  as  the 
standard  for  urging  proper  ideals  and  conduct  in  the 
human  marriage  relation.  Christ  "  is  the  Saviour  of 
his  Body  "  and  "  loved  his  Church  and  gave  himself 
up  for  it;  that  he  might  sanctify  it  .  .  .  that 
he  might  present  the  Church  to  himself,  glorious, 
not  having  spot  or  wrinkle  or  any  such  thing;  but 
that  it  should  be  holy  and  without  blemish."  By 
this  legitimate  connecting  of  the  use  of  this  figure  by 
Jesus,  Paul  and  John,  we  get  fresh  emphasis  on  the 
New  Jerusalem  as  the  completion  of  the  missionary 
undertaking. 

Returning  to  the  description,  we  read  (v.  14) 
that  "  the  wall  of  the  city  had  twelve  foundations, 
and  on  them  twelve  names  of  the  twelve  apostles  of 
the  Lamb,"  the  men  who  had  been  trained  by  Jesus 
Christ,  had  received  His  world  commission,  and  had 
been  the  secondary  authors  and  founders  of  the 
enterprise  of  world-wide  evangelization.  Again  we 
remind  ourselves  of  Paul's  teaching  (Eph.  2:2off.) 
that  Gentiles  and  Jews,  by  means  of  the  Gospel,  are 
being  built  Into  a  holy  temple  In  the  Lord,  "being 
built  upon  the  foundation  of  the  apostles  and 
prophets,  Christ  Jesus  himself  being  the  chief 
cornerstone." 

In  his  glorious  city  John  remarked  that  he  "  saw 
no  temple,  for  the  Lord  God  the  Almighty,  and  the 


170       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

Lamb,  are  its  temple"  (v.  22).  The  redeemed  in 
the  Lamb  are  immediately  within  God's  presence  and 
worship  directly. 

For  illumination  "the  city  hath  no  need  of  the 
sun,  neither  of  the  moon  to  shine  upon  it;  for  the 
glory  of  God  did  lighten  it,  and  its  lamp  is  the 
Lamb"  (v.  23). 

The  inhabitants  of  this  city  are  "  only  they  that 
are  written  in  the  Lamb's  book  of  life"  (v.  27). 
"  The  river  of  the  water  of  life  "  in  the  city  "  issues 
from  the  throne  of  God  and  of  the  Lamb  "  (22 :  i)  ; 
while  again  we  are  told  that  "  the  throne  of  God 
and  of  the  Lamb  shall  be  in  it;  and  his  servants 
(the  Lamb's)  shall  serve  him;  and  they  shall  see 
his  face;  and  his  name  shall  be  on  their  foreheads. 
And  there  shall  be  night  no  more ;  and  they  need  no 
light  of  lamp,  neither  light  of  sun ;  for  the  Lord  God 
shall  give  them  light;  and  they  shall  reign  unto  the 
ages  of  the  ages  "  (22:  3-5). 

Into  that  city  "  they  shall  bring  the  glory  and  the 
honour  of  the  nations,"  just  the  aim  and  the  work  of 
missions.  "And  the  nations  shall  walk  by  its  light; 
and  the  kings  of  the  earth  bring  their  glory  into  it " 
(21:24).  Then  Indeed  shall  the  Redeemer  be  King 
of  Kings  and  Lord  of  Lords. 

In  the  epilogue  (22:6-21)  several  Items  emphasize 
the  importance  and  urgency  of  the  main  ideas  of  the 
whole  Book.  Jesus  Himself  appears  (v.  16)  to  say: 
"  I  Jesus  have  sent  mine  angel  to  testify  unto  you 
these  things  before  the  churches.  I  am  the  root  and 
the  offspring  of  David,  the  bright  morning  star." 
Let  all  the  churches  give  heed ;  or,  "  Let  him  that 


The  Message  in  the  Visions  of  Patmos    171 

hath   an   ear   hear   what   the    Spirit   saith   to   the 
churches." 

"And  the  Spirit  and  the  Bride  say.  Come.  And 
he  that  heareth,  let  him  say,  Come.  And  he  that  is 
athirst,  let  him  come;  he  that  will  let  him  take  the 
water  of  life  freely."  Here  is  a  final  charge  to  give 
the  gospel  invitation  to  all;  here  a  sounding  of  the 
universal  call.  "  He  who  testifieth  these  things  saith, 
Yea :  I  come  quickly."  It  is  for  all  who  love  Him  to 
respond  in  deed  and  word:  "Amen:  come,  Lord 
Jesus." 


Questions  for  Review  and  Reflection 

Under  what  circumstances  and  with  what  purpose 
was  the  Revelation  written? 

What  principles  underlie  its  teachings  ? 

What  is  its  form? 

Name  the  seven  visions  of  the  Book. 

Point  out  the  missionary  element  in  each  vision. 

What  impression  do  you  get  from  the  fact  that  the 
Lamb  of  God  is  so  prominent  in  all  the  Book? 

How  alone  can  the  problem  of  sin  be  solved  ? 

Is  there  any  order  and  goal  to  history  apart  from 
redemption  ? 

What  significance  is  involved  in  such  extensive 
use  of  the  term  Lamb  for  Christ  in  the  Book? 

What  attitude  ought  every  serious  man  to  take 
toward  the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ? 


THE  MESSAGE  IN  THE  TONGUES  OF  MEN 

"  How  hear  we  every  man  in  our  own  language 
wherein  we  were  born?"     (Acts  2:8). 

I.    The  Need  of  the  Bible  in  All  Languages. 

If  the  Bible  is  God's  message  to  mankind  is  it  not 
evident  that  it  must  be  put  into  the  languages  of  all 
men  ?  The  ideas  and  the  ideals  of  the  Bible  are  such 
as  all  men  need  and  such  as  appeal  to  all  men.  This 
is  one  great  evidence  that  it  is  God's  message.  It 
has  never  been  outgrown.  No  place  has  even  been 
found  where  it  is  not  welcome,  or  where  it  cannot 
be  understood.  One  of  the  marvels  of  the  Bible  is 
that  its  great  truths  are  capable  of  expression  in  the 
speech  of  all  men,  of  all  ages,  of  all  cultures. 

I.     Required  by  all  men. 

What  other  ancient  writing  is  demanded  by  man- 
kind in  this  twentieth  century  in  translations  that 
make  it  possible  for  every  man  to  read  it  in  his 
mother  tongue? 

In  all  the  long  history  of  humanity  no  other  book 
can  even  be  compared  to  the  Bible  In  Its  fitness  for 
translation  and  In  the  demand  for  Its  translation  into 
the  tongues  of  men.  In  six  hundred  languages  its 
messages  are  now  read  by  men,  In  whole  or  in  part. 
Next  to  the  Bible,  yet  a  long  way  behind  it.  Pilgrim's 

172 


The  Message  in  the  Tongues  of  Men    1 73 

Progress  has  been  printed  in  one  hundred  languages. 
But  even  its  popularity  is  due  to  its  graphic  story  of 
Christian  experience  and  that  story  is  told  largely  in 
the  language  of  the  Bible.  Shakespeare  has  been 
produced  in  forty-seven  tongues.  None  other  ap- 
proaches these. 

2.    A  necessary  element  in  expanding  Christianity. 

This  work  of  translating  the  Bible  message  be- 
longs to  the  periods  when  Christian  men  have  been 
reading  and  studying  its  words,  and  have  been  stirred 
by  the  missionary  impulse,  an  impulse  which  an  un- 
derstanding reading  of  the  Bible  always  arouses. 

Up  to  the  beginning  of  the  modern  missionary  pe- 
'riod  it  had  been  put  into  twenty-eight  languages. 
Thus  Bible  translation  and  missionary  activity  go  ; 
together.  Bible  translation  is  a  method  of  Missions,  j 
It  is  one  of  the  most  important  and  successful  of  all 
methods;  and  is  absolutely  necessary  to  the  perma- 
nent establishment  of  a  vigorous,  conquering  Chris- 
tianity in  any  part  of  the  world.  Jesus  and  His 
apostles  used  the  common  speech  of  their  day;  and 
they  spoke  also  In  the  Greek  language,  which  had 
been  brought  into  Palestine,  as  it  had  gone  into  all 
the  ancient  world  and  had  become  the  common  inter- 
national speech  of  mankind  in  that  day.  Not  only 
did  they  speak  in  the  languages  common  to  the  peo- 
ple of  their  day;  as  a  rule  they  quoted  their  scrip- 
tures, our  Old  Testament,  not  in  its  original  but  now 
antiquated  Hebrew  form,  but  in  its  Greek  transla- 
tion. This  translation  could  be  read  by  most  intelli- 
gent Jews  in  Palestine,  was  read  by  most  Jews  out- 
side Palestine,  and  was  the  only  form  in  which  non- 


:  174       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

^  Jews  read  it.  Thus  in  spirit  and  in  practice  Jesus 
and  the  apostles  are  squarely  against  any  notion  of  a 
"  sacred  language  "  in  which  God's  message  is  hid- 
den from  men.  If  we  follow  their  example  we  shall 
seek  to  have  all  men  hearing  and  reading  "  in  their 
own  tongues  the  mighty  works  of  God"  (see  Acts 
2: 11). 

Does  not  the  gift  of  tongues  on  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost mean  that  the  Holy  Spirit  intends  for  us  to  give 
God's  message  to  all  men  in  their  own  languages? 
All  the  people  in  Jerusalem  at  that  time  could  under- 
stand either  Aramaic  or  Greek;  but  the  Spirit  of 
Jesus  caused  the  people  from  all  the  fourteen  sec- 
tions to  hear  in  the  tongue  native  to  each  one. 

Mohammedans  have  bitterly  opposed  all  transla- 
tion of  their  Koran  and  until  quite  recently  have 
prohibited  it  and  done  all  possible  to  prevent  it.  They 
have  no  message  in  it  that  will  bear  translation.  In 
any  but  the  Arabic  language  at  once  its  poverty  of 
spiritual  power  and  appeal  are  made  evident. 

Roman  Catholics  have  regarded  Latin  as  the  holy 
language  of  our  Scriptures  and  have  not  encouraged 
their  being  put  into  the  languages  of  the  people. 
They  have  discouraged  private  reading  of  the  Book 
even  where  the  people  knew  its  language.  Moral 
stagnation  and  arrested  religious  development  have 
been  the  results.  It  is  at  this  point  more  seriously 
than  at  any  other  that  their  missions  have  failed. 
They  do  not  give  their  converts  the  Word  of  God, 
and  they  never  plant  a  pure  Christianity  that  can 
set  their  converts  on  the  way  to  become  a  vigorous, 
progressive,  ethical  force  in  the  life  of  the  people. 


The  Message  in  the  Tongues  of  Men    175 

Even  the  missionaries  themselves  have  no  full  knowl- 
edge nor  any  adequate  appreciation  of  the  Bible. 
The  Jesuit  missions  to  the  Indians  of  the  valleys  of 
the  St.  Lawrence  and  the  Mississippi  and  of  the 
Middle  West  constitute  one  of  the  finest  chapters  of 
heroic  devotion  and  personal  sacrifice  for  the  sake  of 
the  heathen.  Yet  they  left  no  abiding  influence  be- 
cause they  failed  to  deliver  God's  message  in  the  | 
languages  of  the  Indians.  [ 

John  Elliot,  in  Massachusetts,  succeeded  in  build- 
ing Christian  Indian  towns  and  changing  the  whole 
idea  and  habits  of  life  of  the  Mohicans ;  and  a  great 
factor  in  his  success  was  his  translation  of  the  Bible 
into  their  language,  the  first  translation  (1661,  1663) 
into  any  Indian  tongue.  That  the  white  men  de- 
stroyed these  Christian  villages  is  a  tragic  illustra- 
tion of  how  we  need  the  religion  of  Christ  trans- 
lated also  into  terms  of  political  and  social  relations 
and  conduct. 

II.    Sketch  of  the  History  of  Translation. 

I.  In  the  spread  of  Christianity  in  the  early  cen- 
turies, for  a  thousand  years  in  fact,  it  was  the  custom 
to  carry  the  Bible  into  the  lands  where  Christianity 
went.  This  was  especially  true  of  the  first  five  cen- 
turies. 

(i)  Before  this  the  Old  Testament  in  its  Greek 
translation  had  played  no  small  part  In  preparation 
for  the  coming  of  Christ  and  for  the  mission  of  His 
Gospel  in  the  world.  It  was  in  the  third  century 
B.  c,  and  in  Alexandria,  that  this  translation  was 
produced.    It  is  called  the  Septuagint,  because  of  the 


176       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

tradition  that  seventy  Jewish  scholars  worked  at  the 
task  of  producing  it.  That  enlightened  King,  the 
great  library  builder  of  Alexandria,  Ptolemy  Phila- 
delphus,  is  said  to  have  desired  it  for  his  growing 
collections  there.  But  its  Hebrew  form  would  have 
met  that  need  unless  it  was  to  be  read.  The  ever 
growing  multitudes  of  Jews  in  that  city  and  in  all 
other  cities  of  the  Greek-speaking  world  were  less 
and  less  able  to  read  their  Bible  in  its  Hebrew  form 
and  found  it  far  easier  to  get  the  words  of  their  God 
in  the  newer  form.  And  the  beauty  and  power  of 
the  message  it  carried  made  this  Greek  Old  Testa- 
ment a  book  sought  by  eager  Gentile  souls  in  all  the 
Graeco-Roman  world.  And  so  it  had  a  great  mis- 
sionary career  even  before  the  Christ  had  come.  In 
nearly  every  city  "  God-fearing "  heathen  men  and 
women  read  this  Septuagint  and  worshipped,  as  they 
might,  the  God  whose  messages  it  brought  them. 
When  the  missionaries  of  the  Christ  went  out  with 
this  story  they  found  these  Bible  readers  ready  to 
accept  the  Lord's  Christ  and  they  became  charter 
members  of  many  a  Christian  church  in  the  first 
century.  They  were  an  element  of  great  strength 
in  the  growing  churches. 

(2)  Before  the  end  of  the  first  century  transla- 
tions for  missionary  purposes  had  begun.  By  the 
third  century  besides  its  original  Greek,  the  New 
Testament,  and  in  part  also  the  Old  Testament,  was^ 
read  in  the  Syriac,  Armenian,  Coptic,  Ethiopic  and 
Latin.  The  evidence  is  more  than  abundant  that 
Bible  reading  in  the  native  tongues  was  the  common 
practice  of  Christians  in  the  various  lands.     Special 


The  Message  in  the  Tongues  of  Men    177 

provision  was  made  for  such  reading  by  the  new 
converts  and  by  those  seeking  admission  into  the 
churches.  Cyprian  taught  that  it  was  of  the  highest 
importance  thus  to  read  God's  word,  because :  "  In 
prayer  we  speak  to  God,  but  in  reading  the  Scrip- 
tures He  speaks  to  us." 

Hamack  has  produced  the  evidence  that  from 
their  infancy  children  were  taught  the  Bible,  even  by 
means  of  their  "  ivory  letter-blocks."  "  The  children 
daily  hear  the  Scriptures  read  and  learn  passages  of 
them  by  heart;  a  Bible  was  not  only  in  the  home; 
the  Bible  was  the  principal  text-book  of  education; 
the  chief  aim  in  the  whole  training  of  a  child  was 
that  he  should  be  taught  to  understand  the  Bible." 
Such  use  of  the  Bible  not  only  made  missions  suc- 
cessful but  stimulated  the  missionary  activity  of 
those  early  Christians  until  they  still  surprise  and 
shame  our  modern  Christians.  Their  Bible  sent 
them  out  with  the  glorious  message  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth. 

(3)  In  the  fourth  century  there  were  two  notable 
versions.  Jerome  made  a  new  version  in  Latin  that 
became  the  sacred,  standard  Bible  of  the  Roman 
Church.  It  is  known  as  "  the  Vulgate,"  a  name  that 
ought  forever  to  shame  the  Church  that  seeks  to  re- 
tain the  Word  of  God  in  a  form  long  since  outgrown. 
Vulgus  means  "  the  crowd,"  "  the  masses."  The 
Vulgate  was  the  Bible  for  the  people,  the  common 
man.  When  language  changed  with  the  development 
of  the  people  the  language  of  the  Bible  should  have 
been  changed  so  as  to  keep  it  In  the  mouths  and 
minds  of  commen  men.    Yet  we  have  still  thousands 


178       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

upon  thousands  of  Protestants  and  Baptists  who 
think  a  translation  into  the  English  of  three  hundred 
years  ago  is  somehow  more  truly  the  Word  of  God 
than  a  translation  into  the  terms  of  our  EngUsh  of 
the  twentieth  century. 

Ulfilas  was  the  great  missionary  to  the  Goths,  for 
whose  sakes  he  left  Constantinople  and  crossed  the 
Danube  to  give  these  wild  barbarians  the  Gospel  of 
the  grace  of  God.  He  invented  an  alphabet  in  order 
that  he  might  put  the  Word  of  God  in  the  language 
of  this  people.  Thus  he  laid  the  foundation  not  only 
for  their  Christianization  but  for  Germanic  culture 
as  well.  It  is  of  interest  that  he  omitted  from  his 
version  of  the  Old  Testament  the  war  histories  of 
Israel  because  he  felt  that  already  these  Goths  were 
too  warlike  and  he  thought  they  would  misunder- 
stand and  think  God's  approval  sanctioned  their 
bloody  career.  This  Bible  became  the  chief  treasure 
of  these  migratory  hordes,  its  manuscript  copies  be- 
ing carried  with  them  into  Spain  and  Africa  and  to 
Rome.  And  the  influence  of  this  Bible  translation 
modified  the  impact  and  influence  of  these  heathen 
on  the  civilization  and  religion  of  the  Roman  world. 
2.  In  the  rise  and  growth  of  Protestantism, 
Protestantism  founded  itself  on  the  Bible.  In 
Germany  and  in  England,  the  Bible  in  the  language 
of  the  people  became  the  greatest  factor  in  enlight- 
enment and  progress.  In  both  lands  it  became  the 
greatest  classic  of  their  literature  and  the  most  per- 
suasive, the  most  sanctifying,  the  most  inspiring  in- 
fluence in  literature,  in  political  progress,  in  religious 
reformation    and    growth.      Literally    hundreds    of 


The  Message  in  the  Tongues  of  Men    1 79 

voltimes  in  Europe  and  America  have  drawn  their 
titles  from  the  Bible,  have  built  their  characters  of 
Biblical  material,  have  shaped  their  plots  and  plans 
from  Biblical  teaching.  And  our  literatures  in  all 
Christian  lands  are  filled  with  the  language  and 
the  ideas  of  which  the  Bible  is  an  inexhaustible 
source. 

Laws  and  reforms  have  been  inspired  by,  and  de- 
termined by,  the  Bible.  So  far  as  we  are  progress- 
ive we  are  Christian;  and  we  are  Christian  because 
'  the  people  have  had  the  Word  of  God  in  their  hands, 
in  their  homes,  in  their  minds  and  hearts.  That 
which  promotes  and  purifies  Christianity  in  the  most 
Christian  lands  is  equally  vital  for  the  growth  of 
Christianity  in  countries  just  turning  to  Christ. 

3.    In  the  modern  missionary  career. 

In  many  modern  instances  the  Bible  has  been  the 
beginning  of  literature  and  of  culture,  even  as  it  was 
in  the  case  of  Ulfilas'  Bible  for  the  Goths.  McAfee 
says  "  The  Bible  is  a  book-making  Book.  It  is  liter- 
ature which  provokes  literature."  His  fine  volume, 
"  The  Greatest  English  Classic,"  illustrates  his 
thesis  with  numerous  examples.  Even  where  litera- 
ture was  known  before  the  coming  of  the  Bible,  the 
Bible  has  produced  a  literary  renaissance  and  has 
effected  a  change  in  the  type  of  culture.  Japan, 
China,  and  India  all  illustrate  this  influence  of  the 
supreme  Book.  Not  only  does  the  Bible  soon  begin 
to  produce  a  Christian  literature  in  any  land,  books, 
periodicals,  hymns,  tracts ;  it  stimulates  life  in  all  its 
phases  and  enters  as  a  vital  force  into  all  phases  of  a 
growing  culture  that  is  stimulated  by  its  presence 


l8o       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

and  use.  Truly  the  Bible  is  proving  itself,  in  every 
forward  moving  land,  a  "  tree  of  life  whose  leaves 
are  for  the  healing  of  the  nations." 

III.  The  Bible  as  an  Influence  in  Heathen 
Lands. 

I.  Societies  for  the  production  and  distribution 
of  Christian  Literature. 

These  have  arisen  in  country  after  country  in  the 
wake  of  the  Bible  to  meet  the  demand  it  creates. 
And  they  have  interpreted  their  calling  in  a  large, 
generous  way,  producing  often  great  quantities  of 
modern  school  books  and  many  works  of  a  general 
character  but  a  necessary  part  of  Christian  culture. 
In  China,  for  example,  The  Christian  Literature 
Society  has  a  catalogue  of  hundreds  of  voltimes: 
and  The  China  Baptist  Publication  Society  is  rapidly 
widening  the  scope  of  its  efforts  to  meet  the  in- 
satiable demands  for  the  printed  page. 

The  Literature  Society  in  the  last  thirty  years  has 
greatly  enlarged  the  scope  of  its  operations;  has 
gained  the  most  remarkable  recognition;  has  ac- 
quired property  to  the  value  of  a  quarter  of  a  mil- 
lion dollars:  is  supported  by  Chinese  and  foreigners 
liberally;  and  its  Secretary,  Dr.  Timothy  Richard, 
a  notable  Baptist  missionary,  was  honoured  by  the 
Chinese  Emperor  by  being  made  a  Mandarin  of  the 
highest  grade  and  the  Mandarin  honour  was  ex- 
tended to  include  three  generations  of  his  ancestors. 

In  the  various  missionary  lands  mission  presses 
to  the  number  of  more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  pro- 
duce Bibles,  Testaments,  Gospels  and  other  "por- 


The  Message  in  the  Tongues  of  Men    i8l 

tions  *'  of  the  Scriptures ;  tracts,  Sunday  school  liter- 
ature, and  other  periodicals. 

In  very  great  measure  these  pubUshing  interests 
are  able  to  meet  their  expenses  from  the  sales  and 
from  gifts  from  natives  who  appreciate  the  great 
service  they  render,  when  once  they  have  become  es- 
tablished in  their  work  of  blessing  and  had  time  to 
produce  a  reading  public. 

2.    Among  primitive  peoples. 

If  in  the  great,  populous  and  more  progressive 
lands  the  Bible  is  the  foundation  of  a  new  type  of 
civilization  and  culture,  among  primitive  peoples  it 
is  the  absolute  creator  of  literacy  and  literature. 
Millions  in  Africa  received  their  first  idea  of  writing 
and  of  printing  from  the  pages  of  the  Bible  for 
which  devoted  missionaries  invented  alphabets  and 
taught  the  first  rudiments  of  learning.  In  the  same 
way  the  primitive  inhabitants  of  nearly  all  the  islands 
of  the  Pacific  stood  in  amazement  before  the  printed 
page  when  first  they  saw  the  missionary  "  make  the 
paper  talk "  to  them  in  their  own  familiar  speech. 
Mrs.  Montgomery  in  "  The  Bible  and  Missions " 
tells,  from  John  G.  Paton,  "  of  the  joy  which  the  first 
book  gave  to  the  Chief  Namekei "  into  whose  Ani- 
wan  tongue  Paton  had  put  the  New  Testament :  "  *  Is 
it  done?  Can  it  speak?*  asked  Namekei  excitedly. 
'  Make  it  speak  to  me !  Let  me  hear  it  speak.* 
When  part  of  the  book  was  read  to  him,  he  shouted 
in  an  ecstasy  of  Joy,  *It  does  speak!  It  speaks  in 
my  own  language,  too!  Oh,  give  it  to  me!*  He 
grasped  It  hurriedly,  opened  and  then  closed  it  with 
a  look  of  disappointment,  and  said,  *  I  cannot  make 


l82       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

it  speak !  It  will  never  speak  to  me/  But  it  did,  for 
the  old  chief  with  painful  persistence  learned  to  read, 
and  as  children  and  strangers  gathered  around  him 
he  would  produce  his  prized  book  and  say,  *  Come,  I 
will  let  you  hear  how  the  book  speaks  our  own 
Aniwan  words/ "  What  new  worlds  are  thus 
opened  up  to  primitive,  unenlightened  minds !  What 
expansion  of  soul  comes  with  hearing  and  reading 
God's  word  and  all  that  follows  in  consequence  of 
this  wonderful  beginning!  More  of  the  world's 
languages  have  been  reduced  to  writing  first  of  all 
in  order  to  put  the  Bible  into  them  than  for  all  other 
reasons  combined.  And  this  initial  work  has  made 
possible  the  scientific  studies  of  anthropologists, 
philologists,  linguists,  historians  and  others  whose 
work  requires  a  knowledge  of  mankind.  How  great 
is  the  debt  of  science  and  culture  to  the  Bible  and  to 
the  missionary  devotion  and  ability  that  are  carrying 
that  Bible  into  all  the  ends  of  the  earth! 

3.    In  closed  lands. 

When  the  missionaries  could  not  go  into  closed 
lands  and  labour  in  person  they  have  used  the  printed 
Bible  to  carry  God's  message  and  to  prepare  a  way 
for  the  spoken  word  to  follow  later.  The  pioneer  of 
missions  in  China,  Robert  Morrison,  after  twenty- 
seven  years  of  ardent  toil  died  six  years  before  his 
successors  were  permitted  to  take  up  residence  in 
the  five  Chinese  cities  first  opened  to  foreign  resi- 
dence. He  and  his  co-labourers,  Milne,  Medhurst 
and  others  had  to  labour  outside  among  emigrants. 
Meantime  with  wonderful  gifts  and  grace  he  put  the 
Bible   message   into   Chinese   and   his    first   native 


The  Message  in  the  Tongues  of  Men    1 83 

helper,  Liang  Afah,  could  carry  it  in  and  get  it  into 
'  the  hands  of  some  of  his  people.  The  noble  and 
original  Dr.  Gutzlaff  not  only  did  splendid  work  of 
translation  but  boldly  distributed  his  tracts  and  Gos- 
pels from  a  houseboat  in  which  he  invaded  the  coast- 
land  waterways.  Morrison  stood  at  the  gates  and 
produced  a  dictionary  and  a  grammar  to  go  along 
with  his  Bible  and  so  provided  the  materials  for 
carrying  the  Gospel  to  China's  heathen  when  once  it 
should  unlock  the  doors.  In  similar  ways  the  Word 
of  God  on  printed  page  foreran  the  missionaries,  in 
person,  in  Japan  and  Korea,  and  for  many  years  told 
its  story  in  "  the  Forbidden  Land  "  of  Thibet  before 
any  herald  was  permitted  to  proclaim  salvation  there. 
Mohammedans  have  been  most  inaccessible  to  di- 
rect missionary  approach.  Wherever  the  political 
control  has  been  in  Moslem  hands  definite  efforts  to 
win  converts  from  "  the  Faith  "  were  absolutely  pro- 
hibited. The  first  missionaries  to  Turkish  territory, 
a  hundred  years  ago  now,  took  with  them  a  printing 
press,  at  first  operating  it  on  British  territory  beyond 
the  reach  of  Turkish  hands.  Besides  this  source  of 
silent,  subtle  invasion  the  missionaries  found  that 
Christian  education  could  not  be  barred  even  from 
Turkey,  as  long  as  active  propaganda  among  Mo- 
hammedan students  was  omitted.  With  divinely  im- 
parted patience  and  wisdom  these  men  and  women 
sowed  the  good  seed  of  the  Word  and  now  the  fruits 
are  justifying  their  faith  with  the  hope  of  rich  har- 
vests soon  to  follow.  Taking  advantage  of  the  Mo- 
hammedan reverence  for  the  "  holy  "  Arabic  of  the 
original  Koran,  which  educated  Mohammedans  read 


184       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

the  world  over,  our  Testament  and  Bible  in  various 
attractive  editions  have  been  put  into  the  hands  of 
very  many,  while  also  they  have  been  translated  into 
Turkish  and  other  languages  spoken  by  sections  of 
the  two  hundred  millions  of  followers  of  the 
Prophet.  An  illustration  of  what  this  sort  of  evan- 
gelism may  be  accomplishing  is  found  in  the  story  of 
a  Mohammedan  found  reading  the  New  Testament. 
On  being  asked  why  he  was  reading  that  book,  he 
replied:  "Ah,  there  is  nothing  that  scours  the  sin 
out  of  my  heart  like  this." 

It  is  no  wonder  the  Bible  is  the  world's  book  in 
ever  increasing  measure.  It  is  not  easy  to  grasp  the 
vast  demand  for  it.  No  other  book  is  at  all  to  be 
compared  with  it.  Dickens  is  the  most  popular 
writer  in  all  secular  literature.  From  the  first  until 
now  it  is  estimated  that  twenty-five  million  copies  of 
all  his  works  combined  have  been  sold.  In  a  single 
year,  of  the  whole  and  of  parts,  thirty-five  million 
copies  of  God's  Word  were  distributed  among  the 
sons  of  men. 

IV.    The  Great  Bible  Societies. 

Back  of  this  modem  marvel  of  putting  the  Bible 
into  the  languages  of  men  and  circulating  it  are  the 
Bible  Societies  and  their  colporters.  In  the  period 
of  Modern  Missions  there  have  been  a  number  of 
such  societies  In  the  Christian  lands,  providing  the 
Book  for  the  people  of  these  lands  and  of  heathen 
lands  as  well.  They  have  encouraged  the  mission- 
ary translators ;  met  the  sometimes  enormous  ex- 
pense of  producing  important  versions;  aided  the 


The  Message  in  the  Tongues  of  Men    1 85 

Mission  Boards  in  procuring  and  in  distributing 
quantities  of  the  Scriptures;  cooperated  with  the  or- 
ganizations on  mission  fields  for  producing  Christian 
literature;  and  they  have  sent  their  own  colporters 
into  many  a  land  and  section  of  country  not  yet 
definitely  occupied  by  missionaries,  to  sell  and  give 
the  Word  to  the  people.  In  most  of  the  countries 
of  South  America  these  emissaries  of  the  Bible  so- 
cieties went  with  their  holy  wares  when  as  yet  the 
missionaries  were  not  permitted  to  locate  and  labour. 

Fifty  Bible  societies  were  listed  in  the  statistics 
of  the  Edinburgh  conference,  1910.  Among  such 
societies  three  stand  out  with  such  preeminence  that 
all  should  know  about  them.  The  record  of  their 
labours  and  the  achievements  of  the  Bible  under 
their  labours  constitute  an  evidence  for  the  truth  of 
Christianity  and  for  the  divine  origin  of  the  Bible 
message  that  cannot  be  refuted  or  gainsaid  by  all  the 
skeptics  and  destructive  critics.  It  is  the  best  and 
the  sufficient  apologetic  for  our  religion  and  for  its 
right  and  its  duty  to  make  itself  the  religion  of 
mankind. 

I.  The  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  was 
founded  in  London  in  1804.  An  agent  of  the  Re- 
ligious Tract  Society  at  a  meeting  of  the  directors  in 
1802  told  the  now  famous  story  of  Mary  Jones. 
She  could  read  the  Bible  only  by  walking  two  miles 
to  see  a  copy  owned  by  a  relative.  After  years  of 
saving  at  the  age  of  sixteen  she  had  money  enough 
to  purchase  a  Bible  in  her  native  Welsh.  On  foot 
she  trudged  the  twenty-eight  miles  to  Bala  only  to 
find  that  not  a  copy  was  left  for  sale.    Mr.  Charles 


1 86       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

could  not  endure  her  tears  of  grief,  and  gave  her 
the  one  copy  he  had,  promised  already  to  a  friend. 
The  story  was  bound  to  stir  the  men  who  heard  it 
and  Joseph  Hughes,  Baptist  pastor  at  Battersea,  ex- 
claimed, "  Surely  a  society  might  be  formed  for  the 
purpose  (of  a  new  edition  in  Welsh,  proposed  by 
Charles).  But  if  for  Wales,  why  not  for  the  king- 
dom? Why  not  for  the  world?"  Beginning  with 
the  languages  of  Great  Britain  and  of  America  the 
Society  extended  its  labours  until  its  library  em- 
braces the  divine  message  in  thousands  of  editions 
in  five  himdred  languages.  One  of  its  most  prized 
volumes  is,  of  course,  Mary  Jones'  Bible  with  the 
autograph  on  the  fly  leaf. 

2.  The  National  Bible  Society  of  Scotland  is  the 
most  important  of  numerous  organizations  auxiliary 
to  the  British  and  Foreign  which  for  different  rea- 
sons separated  from  the  parent  society  and  became 
independent. 

3.  The  American  Bible  Society. 

Several  local  societies  for  circulating  the  Scrip- 
tures In  the  United  States  were  inadequate.  After 
"the  Great  Awakening"  of  the  first  years  of  the 
nineteenth  century  the  need  for  the  Scriptures  was 
keenly  felt  and  the  aroused  leaders  became  aware  of 
the  terrible  destitution.  Surveys  were  made,  the 
most  extensive  that  by  Samuel  John  Mills,  Jr.  It 
was  estimated  that  there  were  not  fewer  than  78,000 
homes  with  no  Bible.  In  1816  the  American  Bible 
Society  was  organized,  primarily  to  meet  this  need. 
The  range  of  its  ministries  extended  until  It  Is  sec- 
ond only  to  the  British  and  Foreign  Society  in  its 


The  Message  in  the  Tongues  of  Men    187 

achievements.  Its  centennial  history  is  recorded  in 
two  stout  volumes  all  whose  pages  give  proof  that 
the  Bible  is  veritably  God's  message  to  men. 

V.    Heroism  and  Romance. 

Heroism  and  romance,  sometimes  tragedy,  mark 
the  way  of  the  Bible  in  its  missionary  career. 
Volumes  of  fascinating  stories  could  be  written  of 
the  trials  and  triumphs  of  those  who  have  in  the  last 
century  and  a  quarter  made  it  possible  for  God  to 
speak  in  His  inspired  Word  to  hundreds  of  millions 
of  the  human  race  who  could  not  read  it  before. 

William  Carey,  "  Father  of  the  Modem  Missionary 
Enterprise,"  himself  translated  the  Scriptures  into 
a  score  of  languages  and  edited  others  until  in  whole 
or  in  part  he  set  the  Bible  free  in  thirty-six  languages 
in  India.  And  he  early  set  up  a  printing  plant  for 
their  circulation.  One  of  the  stories  of  mingled 
romance  and  heroism  is  that  of  Judson's  Burmese 
Bible,  the  manuscript  of  which  was  first  preserved 
by  his  faithful  wife,  concealed  in  his  pillow  during 
part  of  his  terrible  prison  sufferings,  thrown  out  in 
a  rubbish  heap  by  his  ignorant  tormentors,  rescued 
by  a  native  follower,  and  finally  given  to  the  people 
where  it  has  become  a  classic. 

Hotchkiss  of  Africa  illustrates  the  serious  difficul- 
ties that  must  be  overcome  in  giving  the  Word  to 
ignorant,  savage  peoples.  Sometimes  they  have  no 
name  that  can  be  used  for  God,  no  words  for  virtue, 
home,  duty.  For  two  long  years  Hotchkiss  lived 
among  his  Africans,  eagerly  seeking  some  word  for 
Saviour  and  for  the  idea.     At  last  he  found  his 


l88       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

word  when  around  the  camp-fire  his  "  boys  "  were 
recounting  the  exciting  rescue  of  one  of  their  num- 
ber from  drowning  in  the  river  during  the  events  of 
the  day.  Hotchkiss  declares  that  he  would  gladly 
spend  the  rest  of  his  life  for  the  privilege  of  bring- 
ing to  another  benighted  group  of  human  beings  their 
first  knowledge  that  Jesus  Christ  died  to  save  us. 

John  Williams,  the  Master  Missionary  of  the 
South  Seas,  tells  how  the  Raratongans  received  him 
when  after  four  years  of  toil  he  was  able  to  return 
from  England  with  the  Bible  in  their  tongue: 
"  Every  one  was  eager  to  buy  a  copy.  One  man,  as 
he  secured  his,  hugged  the  book  in  ecstasy;  another 
and  another  kissed  it;  others  held  them  up  and 
waved  them  in  the  air.  Some  sprang  away  like  a 
dart,  and  did  not  stop  until  they  entered  their  own 
dwellings,  and  exhibited  their  treasures  to  their 
wives  and  children,  while  others  jumped  and  capered 
about  like  persons  half  frantic  with  joy." 

One  of  the  tragedies  in  the  Bible  story  has  its 
scene  in  our  own  country.  In  1831  four  Nez-Perces 
Indians  arrived  in  St.  Louis  from  far-away  Idaho 
asking,  "  Where  is  the  white  man's  Book  of 
Heaven?"  of  which  they  had  somehow  learned. 
They  did  not  know  whom  to  seek  for  information 
and  help  and  fell  in  with  some  of  the  reckless,  drink- 
ing, gambling  adventurers  then  so  plentiful  in  border 
towns.  After  pathetic  ridicule  they  at  length  found 
friends  and  sympathy  but  no  "  Book  of  Heaven " 
that  they  could  understand ;  and  it  was  exactly  forty 
years  before  the  Bible  was  published  in  the  dialect 
of  the  Nez-Perces.    Two  of  the  four  men  took  sick 


The  Message  in  the  Tongues  of  Men    189 

and  died  in  St.  Louis.  The  other  two  received 
courtesies  and  promises  and  with  mingled  grief  and 
hope  turned  homeward.  Their  visit  did  hasten  the 
splendid  missionary  labours  of  the  Methodists  and 
Congregationalists  in  "the  Northwest  Country." 

Space  allows  but  one  more  characteristic  incident. 
While  Japan  was  still  closed  to  the  outside  world 
and  Christianity  contraband,  in  the  very  dawn  of  the 
new  era,  1855,  Murata  Wasaka  was  official  guardian 
of  the  Nagasaki  coast  region  against  foreign  en- 
trance or  Japanese  exit.  One  day  on  tour  of  inspec- 
tion he  found  a  Dutch  New  Testament  floating  in  the 
water.  He  rescued  it  out  of  curiosity,  only  to  be  more 
puzzled  to  know  what  it  might  be.  An  interpreter 
told  him  and  also  informed  him  that  the  book  ex- 
isted in  Chinese.  Wasaka  sent  a  man  all  the  way  to 
Shanghai  to  procure  a  copy.  For  years  he  studied 
it  in  secret.  When  the  first  educational  mission- 
aries went  to  Japan,  no  religious  efforts  yet  being 
authorized,  Wasaka  and  a  brother  sent  from  time  to 
time  lists  of  questions  about  the  teachings  of  their 
Testament  to  Dr.  Guido  F.  Verbeck,  sending  a 
trusted  servant  on  a  two  days'  journey  each  time. 
The  upshot  of  it  was  that  in  1866  the  brothers  and 
the  servant  were  "baptized"  by  Dr.  Verbeck  and 
then  professed  their  new  faith  to  their  daimio.  This 
was  five  years  before  there  was  any  free  acknowl- 
edgment of  Christ  in  modern  Japan. 

These  sample  stories  suggest  the  fascination  and 
the  power  of  the  Scriptures  and  their  fitness  to  meet 
the  religious  need  of  the  human  heart  the  world  over. 
They  help  to  understand  how  the  Bible  outsells  every 


igo       The  Bible  a  Missionary  Message 

other  book  in  Japan,  China  and  India  as  well  as  in 
America,  England  and  Canada.  In  19 16  Chinese 
bought  more  than  two  and  a  quarter  million  copies 
of  God's  good  message. 

The  Bible  is,  at  least  in  some  part,  now  accessible 
to  all  who  can  read  their  own  languages  among 
seven-eighths  of  the  human  race.  In  order  to  reach 
the  remaining  peoples  a  thousand  dialects  must  be 
conquered  and  used  to  carry  the  "  beautiful  words, 
wonderful  words  of  life  "  which  "  Christ  the  blessed 
one  gives  to  all."  It  remains  yet  to  give  God's  word 
its  complete  translation  into  the  terms  of  human  ex- 
perience and  conduct. 

For  after  all  the  Living  Word,  the  Christ  of  God, 
can  be  translated  only  in  "  living  epistles,  known 
and  read  of  all  men."  In  this  dual  translation,  into 
language  and  life,  will  come  the  fulfillment  of  that 
day  predicted  by  the  prophet  when  "  no  man  shall 
say  to  his  neighbour  or  his  brother,  Know  thou  the 
Lord,  for  they  shall  all  know  him,  from  the  least  of 
them  to  the  greatest  of  them"  (Jer.  31:34). 


Questions  for  Review  and  Reflection 

How  many  of  the  world's  population  now  have  the 
Bible  in  their  own  language? 

Why  do  you  think  so  many  people  desire  this 
book? 

What  features  of  the  Bible  make  it  a  book  for  all 
men? 

What  difficulties  can  you  think  of  in  translating 
it  ?    In  the  translator  ?    In  the  languages  ? 


The  Message  in  the  Tongues  of  Men    191 

What  influence  has  the  Bible  had  on  Hterature  and 
on  culture  ? 

What  is  the  oldest  translation  of  Scripture  ? 

What  is  the  bearing  of  Scripture  translation  on 
the  spread  of  Christianity  ? 

How  often  ought  the  Scripture  translations  to  be 
revised  ? 

What  caused  the  founding  of  each  of  the  two 
most  extensive  Bible  Societies*? 

How  much  remains  to  be  done  before  all  men  can 
know  the  Word  of  God  ? 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Beach—"  New  Testament  Studies  in  Missions  "  (S.  V.  M.). 
Carver — "Missions  in  the  Plan  of  the  Ages"  (Revell). 

Carver— "All  the  World  in  All  the  Word  " 

(Sou.  Baptist  S.  S.  Bd.). 
Carver — "Missions  and  Modern  Thought"  (McMillan). 

Church — "Christianity  and  Civilization"  (McMillan). 

Davis—"  Christ  the  Desire  of  the  Nations  " 

(Morgan  &  Scott). 
Dobschutz— "  The  Influence  of  the  Bible  on  Civilization  " 

(Scribner's). 
Dennis— "The  Modern  Call  of  Missions"  (Revell). 

Dwight — "History  of  American  Bible  Society"  (2  vols.) 
Hall — "Christ  and  the  Human  Race"  (Scribner's). 

Harris — "  The  Bible  in  Many  Lands  "  (Carey  Press,  London) . 
Harris—"  The  Book  and  Its  Travels  "  (Carey  Press,  London). 
Horton— "  The  Bible  a  Missionary  Book"  (Pilgrim  Press). 
Lilley— "  The  Victory  of  the  Gospel "  (Morgan  &  Scott) . 

McAfee—"  The  Greatest  English  Classic  "  (Harper). 

McLean — "Epoch  Makers  of  Modern  Missions"  (Revell). 
Montgomery — "  The  Bible  and  Missions  " 

(United  Study  of  Foreign  Missions). 
Moulton— "  The  Word  and  the  World  " 

(Int.  Rev.  of  Missions,  Jan.,  1913). 
Muir— "  The  Call  of  the  Modern  World  "  (Morgan  &  Scott). 
Ritson — "  Christian  Literature  in  the  Mission  Field " 

(Edinburgh). 

Robson — "The  Resurrection  Gospel"  (London). 

Stubbs— "  How  Europe  was  Won  for  Christianity"  (Revell). 
Tait— "  Christ  and  the  Nations  "  (London) . 

TuU— "  Missionary  Progress  and  Incidents  "  (Second  Series) 
(Missionary  Education  Movement). 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 
192 


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